GW Hospital Successfully Completes Modernization of Emergency Department

The George Washington University Hospital has opened a new patient care area in the Hospital's existing Emergency Department that will provide current and future patients with expanded and updated space that will improve efficiency and throughput of the Emergency Department.

“As our community grows, the number of individuals needing emergency services has increased," said Robert Shesser, MD, Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine at GW Hospital. "The completion of this expansion project will allow us to see more patients and decrease the waiting time for our patients. Our patients will experience a newer, nicer, less congested environment throughout their Emergency Department stay."

The Emergency Department expansion includes:
• Newly redesigned ambulatory care walk-in component;
• Two new Fast Track stations to collect patient information immediately;
• Three new “quick look” stations to collect patient’s vitals and status;
• Expanded space to increase available treatment spaces, decreasing wait times for those patients seeking care and increasing patient satisfaction;
• Additional major treatment bays;
• Additional minor care treatment bays;
• A results waiting area inside the Emergency Department area;
• An emergency medical services holding area;
• An emergency medical services facility to restock supplies for vehicles as needed.

“This update will not only improve the overall patient experience at GW, it will also help our Emergency Medical Services personnel with a more streamlined designed with a holding area and a room to restock their vehicles,” said Kimberly Russo, Chief Operating Officer at GW Hospital.

Since 2003, the overall Emergency Department patient volume at the George Washington University Hospital has increased an average of five percent annually, with total patient volume in the Emergency Department having increased by approximately 34% with no change in the original physical size of the department. The renovation and expansion of the Emergency Department began in January.

In 2011, the Emergency Department treated and evaluated 74,539 patients, an increase of 4.6 percent over the previous year. Approximately 60 percent of George Washington University Hospital patient admissions come through the emergency department.

The approximate 3,500-square foot expansion was budgeted at $2.8 million.

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