Baton Rouge (La.) General's Mid City campus will reopen its emergency room June 15 for the first time since it closed in 2015.
The hospital is reopening the ED with support from the Governor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management. The hospital and the state entered into a contract in late March to open up many of the hospital's acute care units as part of a COVID-19 surge plan. The plan also calls for opening 33 emergency room beds.
"While the last few months have been challenging for everyone, they have brought us an opportunity to help our community heal and recover," Baton Rouge General President and CEO Edgardo Tenreiro said in a news release. "We will continue to offer acute care and keep the ER open as long as we have the support of the state."
Reopening the ER will enable hospital staff to triage all types of emergencies, and patients who need additional care will be admitted. Severe trauma patients may be transferred to other facilities after they're stabilized if they need specialty care or surgery not available at the Mid City campus.