Community Need: Emergency Department Project Set to Begin

Caring for our friends, neighbors and loved ones comes in many forms at Methodist. Whether we’re mending broken hearts, helping families welcome new bundles of joy or giving cancer patients hope through life-changing clinical trials, Methodist continues to prove that care here is never one-size-fits-all. And our emergency care can’t be either.

That’s why I’m excited to announce that construction on Methodist Hospital’s $25 million Emergency Department (ED) expansion and renovation is slated to begin on Monday, Nov. 18. Preliminary work will include the construction of a temporary ambulance bay, temporary exam rooms in Fast Track and a temporary entrance.

The $25 million plan, when complete, will double the number of patient rooms, provide a safer environment for mental health patients, offer a more specialized treatment area for our SANE program and give us the ability to better care for aging populations.

Why is this important

Our ED has experienced increased patient volumes – a more than 20 percent increase over the past five years. Despite capacity issues and aging resources, our ED team continues to provide outstanding care when it matters most. While they should be commended for their efforts, they should also be given the space and improvements necessary to best provide The Meaning of Care to patients and their families.

Construction timeline

As with any construction project, there will be some challenges, but much planning has been done to ensure that patient care will not be impacted. It’s imperative that patients and visitors continue experiencing The Meaning of Care during the course of this two and a half year project.

So you can better understand the project, I wanted to share the construction timeline and a few details about each phase:

Phase 1A: Nov. 18, 2019 – Jan. 31, 2020

• Construction of six temporary rooms in Fast Track space
• Construction of temporary ambulance bay
• Construction of temporary entrance
• Upper drive will be limited to one lane of public traffic during this time

Phase 1B: Feb. 3, 2020 – March 5, 2021

• Construction of exam rooms to the north
• ED entrance will be closed – patients will access ED through North Tower
• Ambulance bay will be closed – squads will use temporary bay
• Current ED Parking and overhang will not be accessible
• Upper drive will be closed to all vehicle traffic except for ambulances and ED walk-in vehicles, with valet services for ED vehicles 24/7
• Valet services will be available on lower drive during business hours

Phase 2: March 8, 2021 – June 18, 2021

• Construction of exam rooms to the west
• Construction of new SANE treatment area
• Construction of behavioral rooms
• Construction of clean storage
• Upper drive reopens for public use

Phase 3: June 21, 2021 – Oct. 29, 2021

• Renovation of existing Fast Track area, creating break rooms, conference rooms, offices, triage, registration and waiting room

Phase 4: Nov. 1, 2021 – Jan. 8, 2022

• Renovation of old exam rooms
• Construction of discharge lounge and staff work areas

Phase 5: Jan. 31, 2022 – May 20, 2022

• Completion of ED waiting area
• Restroom construction
• North Tower lobby upgrades

You made it possible

If this seems like a major undertaking, it is. This wonderful project, which is so greatly needed, would not have been possible without the generous donors within the community, the fundraising efforts of the Methodist Hospital Foundation and you – our employees.

For two years, the annual Caring Campaign has focused on this need, and you’ve responded. The Foundation’s fundraising goal of $25 million is within sight – with nearly $20 million raised to date. So thank you. Your generosity is inspiring and greatly appreciated.

Our mission statement – caring for our communities by the way we care, educate and innovate – is at the heart of this project. Expanding and enhancing our Emergency Department services will bring a higher level of care to our patients. Our staff and the Geriatric Resource Nurse initiative will help educate patients on health care resources and needs, and we’ll continue striving toward more innovative ways to provide quality emergency care.

This is an exciting time for all of us. I thank you, in advance, for your patience and flexibility over the next two and a half years and ask for your assistance in guiding our patients and visitors as well.

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