Residents in the western suburbs now have another option for emergency care. WestHealth opened its new emergency department this week, seeing 135 patients on day one.
WestHealth's Medical Director Nick Johnson says the staff in the new facility have been running practice drills with fake patients for about two months to make sure the first day ran smoothly.
“Our hard work paid off,” Johnson said. “When we opened on Monday, we had a line of patients and I’m happy to say everything went smoothly.”
WestHealth broke ground on the new building in April of last year. The 18,000 sq. ft. facility will serve the western suburbs, offering residents in that area emergency services without having to drive to Maple Grove or Robbinsdale.
“There was a need for emergency care in this area,” Johnson said. “For those living in and around the Plymouth area we have a great staff ready to handle any kind of emergency.”
The facility is staffed by physicians from Abbott Northwestern, which is part of Allina Health.
“This new facility integrates WestHealth’s successful urgent care model into the expanded capabilities of a full-service emergency department that will be staffed by doctors from Abbott Northwestern Hospital who specialize in emergency medicine,” said Ben Bache-Wiig, MD, president of Abbott Northwestern.
Patients that need to be admitted to a hospital after visiting the emergency department at WestHealth will be transferred to a facility of their choice by ambulance for no charge.
More about the facility
The 18,000 square-foot facility is equipped with advanced medical technology for delivering care in a quiet, healing environment. Some key features are:
● One trauma room where critically ill patients can be stabilized and treated. This room is equipped with state of the art intubation and resuscitation equipment and bedside ultrasound for rapid identification of critical events.
● 14 exam rooms with advanced monitoring equipment and computers for patient care and flat screen TVs for patient comfort. Floor to ceiling walls—rather than cubicle curtains—help ensure patient privacy, decrease noise and enhance infection control.
● Two mental health rooms specially designed for the care and safety of patients who need a safe environment.
● Decontamination room for use in situations involving chemical spills or other hazardous materials.
● Open nurses’ station with four work stations to help staff collaborate, work efficiently and have easy access to patient rooms.
● An office for emergency medical services teams to complete patient documentation and other essential business between ambulance runs.
● Staff offices near patient care areas.
