Outpatient growth moved the Lehigh Valley Health Network to rethink building a new hospital in the Hazleton, Pa., area, according to an article on the Standard Speaker website.
The system instead will modernize a present hospital — including expanding the emergency department and expand services at an ExpressCARE clinic.
“We made a little bit of a right turn,” John Fletcher, president of Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton said in the article. “We were going to build a new hospital in the Hazleton community. Healthcare has changed so much, and it continues to change. We have seen a shift of patients we traditionally cared for in the hospital moving to an out-patient setting.”
One feature of the hospital modernization is creating more private rooms. The modernization will also include the establishment of a rapid assessment unit in the emergency department.
Building Envelope Design: Beyond Energy Efficiency
Outpatient Surge Reshapes Long-Term Strategy for Medical Outpatient Buildings
Mercy Medical Center to Be Integrated into Baystate Health
Managing IAQ in Healthcare Facilities During Wildfires
Building Hospital Resilience in an Era of Extreme Weather