Patients can expect a shorter admitting wait time at the new Rockyview hospital emergency department.
The doors to the $26-million project officially opened this morning at 6 a.m. More then 70,000 patients will be admitted through the new centre annually.
The original emergency department was designed to treat about 100 patients per day, said Gene Zwozdesky, minister of health and wellness. In reality, over double that are treated daily.
“That’s quite an enormous stress on the system, which is obviously going to be now addressed and alleviated,” said Zwozdesky.
Alberta Health Services is aiming to reduce the median wait time for emergency admittance from 3.2 hours to 2.5 hours, said Alberta Health Services board chairman Ken Hughes.
“We are on a path to even shorter wait times in future years,” said Hughes.
The expansion will also help alleviate stress on physicians and hospital staff, said Dr. Grant Innes, clinical department head of emergency medicine. The latest equipment and technology will mean quicker diagnoses and treatment.
“I think this is going to be a better place for physicians, nurses, staff, patients,” said Innes. “It will be a very good place to work.”
Along with additional space, the department will also feature improved infection prevention and control infrastructure, increased privacy, and state of the art resuscitation rooms. Six additional ambulance bays and a new helipad will assist in the transition of patients arriving by EMS and STARS.
