By Angela Roberts
Baltimore Sun
RANDALLSTOWN, Md. 鈥� The emergency department at in Randallstown is getting a 鈥渕uch needed鈥� $6 million face-lift, according to LifeBridge Health, the health system that owns the medical center.
Construction started Wednesday on the project, which officials hope will help reduce It鈥檚 expected to add about 2,500 square feet to the department, renovate its entrance, and 鈥渕odernize鈥� its waiting areas and triage spaces, LifeBridge Health said in a news release earlier this week.
The new space will improve the flow of patients who arrive at the emergency department by ambulance 鈥� that鈥檚 nearly a third of those who receive treatment 鈥� by allowing emergency medical service personnel to bring them directly to the triage room. That鈥檚 expected to help EMS workers get back into the field faster.
The renovation will create 鈥渢hree pathways鈥� for care: a rapid evaluation unit for those with less urgent medical needs, a triage channel for more acutely ill patients who may need to be admitted to the hospital, and a waiting area for behavioral health patients.
Construction is expected to be finished next summer, the news release said. The emergency department will remain open while the project is underway.
Northwest鈥檚 emergency department treats about 45,000 patients each year and is one of the busiest in Baltimore County, the news release said. About 85% of its patients arrive through the emergency department, but the last time the area was significantly renovated was nearly 15 years ago.
Patients wait an average of 4 hours, and 47 minutes in the hospital鈥檚 emergency department before leaving from the visit, according to the most recently available data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That鈥檚 longer than 鈥� one of the longest in the country at about 4 hours, and 7 minutes.
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