St. Francis Medical Center’s new $102 million emergency department is now complete and fully operational two months ahead of schedule, according to an article on The Gazette website.
The Colorado Springs, Colo., hospital opened in 2008, but since then the emergency department had experienced a 50-percent increase in patient volume, requiring a larger ER.
The new layout allows better staff interaction. The former old emergency room had lost clear lines of sight with piecemeal renovations.
Other design aspects that aid functionality include a covered ambulance arrival area beneath the department that doesn’t leave patients and EMTs exposed to the elements.