$26M Vermont hospital project authorized by health board
Work on emergency room expansion could begin this spring
The design includes touch-free, motion-activated doors and walls that inhibit sound from room to room. The addition of high-acuity, low-acuity and collaborative care areas are expected to reduce wait times and improve the patient and provider experience, the center says. An expanded space for patients experiencing emergency behavioral health issues is also in the plan.
Bennington
Vermont’s regulatory health care board has given Southwestern Vermont Medical Center the go-ahead for a $26 million emergency department modernization and expansion through the granting of a certificate of need, the health care system said.
The project includes the renovation of the center’s main entrance and public areas on the ground floor as well as traffic and parking improvements. The regulatory approval was needed to proceed with the project, the center said.
“Our current emergency department was designed to serve 12,000-13,000 patients per year, but it currently accommodates about twice that number,” said Thomas A. Dee, SVHC’S president and CEO. “Modernizing the Emergency Department will create a space equal to the highly skilled and compassionate care provided by our board-certified emergency physicians, Magnet nurses, and members of our support team.”
According to a statement, the design doubles the square footage of the department and includes the expanded presence of the tele-emergency service in coordination with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health.
The design includes touchfree, motion-activated doors and walls that inhibit sound from room to room. The addition of high-acuity, low-acuity and collaborative care areas are expected to reduce wait times and improve the patient and provider experience, the center says. An expanded space for patients experiencing emergency behavioral health issues is also in the plan.
The health system expects to break ground this spring, with completion scheduled for fall 2023.
In addition to areas in Vermont, the hospital serves patients in eastern Rensselaer and Washington counties. The certificate of need was granted by the Green Mountain Care Board.