By Nick Buglione
"The volume of patients coming in has been increasing over the years and we needed more space in here," said Dr. Joan McInerney, who has been chair of the Emergency Department since 1991. "We wanted to do some redesigning to expedite the patients' flow into the clinical area."
Focusing on faster care as well as increased patient privacy and comfort, the new emergency room, which will open to the public on April 8, is now much larger and features four enclosed triage rooms as opposed to its one previous booth.
With 82,111 visits last year, the Nassau University Medical Center's emergency room, located at 2201 Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow, is one of the busiest in the county. It's hoped that the increase in its triage capabilities will significantly cut down on the time it takes for patients to be evaluated before being admitted to a doctor.
Hospital officials project a 10-percent rise in the number of visits to the emergency room this year, since the Long Island population is growing older and several senior housing complexes are located nearby.
"Now patients can speak to a nurse in full confidentiality, which is a big improvement," said McInerney, adding that patients will also be able to register inside the triage rooms, eliminating a long wait on line. Several reception booths have also been installed where family members can go to check up on loved ones that have been admitted.
A pneumatic tube system that will speed tests from the emergency room to the laboratory should be online by the end of the week and will also make visits shorter, according to McInerney.
"Since 83 percent of our admissions are a direct result of our emergency department visits, it is imperative that the front door to our hospital be the most comfortable and best possible place to provide emergency care rather than simply a location to manage crises," said Richard Turan, president/CEO of the Nassau Health Care Corporation.
To increase comfort for children, who are particularly traumatized by trips to the emergency room, the hospital has created a separate waiting room for kids that's furnished with books and toys to make their stay a little easier.
"People don't have a particularly good feeling about hospitals generally, especially children," said Karen Cohen, the interior designer of the new emergency room. "We tried to make it as comfortable as possible for them, and we worked to present a feeling that it's an OK place to be."
Doctors, nurses and emergency medical workers on hand for the reopening spoke glowingly of the renovations, saying that it's a big improvement from what the facility used to be. More than100 people now staff the emergency room.
"We're excited about the progression," said Dr. Albert Heuser, who has worked in the Nassau University Medical Center's emergency room for the past 10 years. "Its setup is such that it will improve the whole treatment of the patient and the overall experience. We hope it's the first step in many steps to come."
Hempstead Town Councilman Gary Hudes, who has pushed for the renovation in recent years, echoed the comments of the staff.
"Over the last three years, I have indicated to the board that the emergency room needed some improvements," said Hudes. "I was thrilled to see the setup here. It brings this hospital to the next level of care that the residents of the area certainly deserve."
After several months of design, work on the new emergency room began last October. During construction, temporary waiting rooms for patients were set up in the halls.
Funding for the project came from private grants as well as from hospital coffers. Though financial problems have plagued the medical center, its board of directors recently reported that it is on target with its budget so far this year.
Completion of work on the emergency room signifies the end of phase one of a two-tiered project.
Under phase two, which is still in design, the hospital will install a state-of-the-art CAT scan machine next to the trauma room. A CAT scan takes multiple X-ray images of the body and uses a computer to construct from those images cross-sectional views. It's often used to check for internal injuries and bleeding.
"Having it right here will make it faster for the patients," said McInerney. "We can get the readings right here rather than having to go upstairs."
Work on phase two is expected to begin by the summer.
