Officials with Banner Churchill Community Hospital broke ground on Aug. 15 on a $10 million Emergency Department expansion.
The expansion will add an additional 6 patient rooms. At the same time, a renovation of the existing space will take place.
The Emergency Department will double in size giving patients more privacy, shorter wait times and room accommodations such as TVs, while nurses and providers will benefit from improved efficiencies and better operational flow.
The expansion is expected to be completed by late spring or early summer with the entire project completed by the end of 2018.
“Our ED treats 20,000 patients a year in Fallon and the surrounding community,” said Robert Carnahan, chief executive officer of Banner Churchill Community Hospital in announcing the ground breaking. “With this expansion, we will have additional patient rooms that are larger which will support improved patient movement and delivery of care.”
Of the 16 new exam rooms, 11 will be regular patient rooms, two will be trauma rooms and new to the ED will be two observation rooms and an isolation room. Also included is an exam room with an electrocardiogram (EKG) to serve patients suffering from a heart attack.
In addition to the patient rooms, the project will feature a new waiting room and triage areas, expanded storage and office space as well as a centralized work area for nurses and providers to better monitor patients and integrate care.
“The ED was part of the original hospital and space is tight right now,” said Paul Rowley, development and construction project manager with Banner Health. “The way the new template is laid out it’s going to flow a lot better and service to patients will improve.”