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WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2007
Last modified: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 8:55 PM CST

North Suffolk emergency center to open March 1

By Tracy Agnew
Staff Writer

A new emergency center in North Suffolk held a ribbon cutting Tuesday afternoon, but they won’t be open for another week.
The freestanding emergency department on the campus of Bon Secours Health Center at Harbour View will open at 7 a.m. on March 1. The 15-bed emergency room will be open from 7 a.m.-11 p.m. daily, with possible expansion to 24-hour service in the future.

“This is part of our commitment to the community,” said Barbara Lynch, the vice president of ambulatory services at Bon Secours’ Harbour View facilities. “This was the next step for us.”

The emergency center was designed using suggestions from the community and the medical staff, said Lynne Zultanky, director of corporate communication for Bon Secours. Among the suggestions from the community was reducing wait time.

“Our guarantee from time in the front door until time treatment begins is 30 minutes,” said Lynch.

She said people in the community had told them they would drive past other hospitals for a wait time of 30 minutes or less.

One suggestion from the nurses who will staff the emergency center was a large nurses’ station. Not only is there a large nurses’ station, said Zultanky, but a nurse standing there has a clear line of sight to every treatment room.

Many of the features are designed to preserve the patients’ dignity and privacy, Zultanky said. Restrooms are located close to treatment rooms so that nobody has to walk far to get to a restroom. Each room also has a door that closes, along with a privacy curtain to draw across the window. A private consultation room is conveniently located to discuss conditions and treatment with patients and their families. An orthopedic unit, a gynecological exam room with a private bathroom, an “eye scope” to detect foreign objects in the eye, and two mini-ICU rooms equipped with heart monitors and oxygen are all also featured.

While the center will not begin accepting incoming ambulance transports right away, they hope to expand to that when the need arises. However, the facility does include a back door exit to transport patients out by ambulance when needed.

Also located near the back door is a chemical detoxification room with a shower. This can be used for patients who have been involved in industrial accidents where there is a concern about harmful chemicals. Emergency responders to those accidents can also use the shower to avoid contaminating the emergency room.

The facility is also equipped to serve as a resource site in the event of a disaster or community-wide emergency. Above the facility is 8,000 square feet of office space for physician practices.

“We have a reputation for outstanding customer service,” said Lynch. “They (the medical staff) prove it every day.”