By Sherry Greenfield
Baltimore Sun
CARROLL COUNTY, Md. 鈥� Planning for the renovation and modernization of the emergency department at Carroll Hospital in Westminster received a bit of help from the Carroll County Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
Staff from fire and EMS were an integral part of the design process.
鈥淎s recently as last week, DFEMS met with their management team and provided some recommendations to the design plan,鈥� Michael Robinson, chief and director of the Department of the Fire and EMS stated in a written statement. 鈥淒FEMS is confident the renovations and upgrades to the [emergency department] will greatly improve EMS wait times and transition of care to the ED staff.鈥�
Robinson stated the partnership between the department and the hospital is strong.
鈥淲e continue our ongoing collaboration in the interest of initial and continuity of care for Carroll County citizens in their time of need,鈥� he said.
On Tuesday, officials held at Carroll Hospital, a LifeBridge Health Center, to kick off the renovation and modernization project. Officials said the $9.5 million renovation is aimed at transforming emergency services for patients, visitors and care providers at the hospital.
The emergency department sees approximately 47,450 patients annually, with an average of 130 visits a day, Sharon Boston, director of public relations for LifeBridge Health stated in an email.
Officials said the emergency department layout is outdated and does not meet current needs. The last renovation was in 2003.
For patients and visitors, the renovation is intended to create a more comfortable and private environment. The project aims to streamline processes and improve the flow of patients through the emergency department, leading to reduced wait times.
Wait times vary greatly depending on the volume of patients in the emergency department as well as the volume of patients, Boston said.
Offload time from ambulances is approximately 35 minutes 90% of the time. For patients treated and released the length of stay is 210 minutes. The time from admission to being seen is around 500 minutes.
鈥淥ne of the challenges we鈥檝e seen in recent years is that along with the increasing number of patients coming to the emergency department, those patients often have more complex medical issues making their treatment more complex to manage,鈥� Boston said. 鈥淢any of them will require longer hospital stays, which means there are fewer available beds in the hospital itself for new emergency patients coming in who also need hospitalization. This can also impact waits in the emergency department.鈥�
The new design of the renovation will allow the hospital to treat patients needing acute care.
鈥淏ut [we] will also have dedicated examination and treatment areas that patients who do not need a room or bed can flow through comfortably and efficiently and be discharged as soon as their treatment is complete, and they are feeling better,鈥� Boston said. 鈥淭he new design will also have a large area for the comfort and safety of our behavioral health patients as well as a dedicated ambulance offload space to improve our ambulance offload times and get our medics back in the field to take care of our community.鈥�
The expansion part of the project will add a wing for ambulance offloading and enclose the drive-through ambulance area.
鈥淲e will relocate our five Behavioral Health beds in the ED to this expansion area,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he current ED is 23,000 square feet, adding 5,000 square feet for a total of 28,000 square feet.鈥�
Meanwhile, , the official website for the Medicare program, a federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older, on Carroll鈥檚 emergency department in February. The data included wait times for patients to be seen.
鈥淭imely and effective care in hospital emergency departments is essential for good patient outcomes,鈥� the website states. 鈥淒elays before getting care in the emergency department can reduce the quality of care and increase risks and discomfort for patients with serious illnesses or injuries.鈥�
Of the 46,521 patients that visited Carroll Hospital鈥檚 emergency department last year, none left before being seen. In Maryland, 4% of patients left hospital emergency rooms before being seen by a doctor.
Of the 27 patients who came to the emergency department with stroke symptoms, 74% received brain scan results within 45 minutes of arrival, the February data shows. And the average time patients spent in the emergency department before leaving was 209 minutes, or 3 hours and 29 minutes. Statewide the number is 266 minutes or 4 hours and 26 minutes.
Finally, the renovation also includes modernizing waiting rooms and triage areas, offering more comfort and space, as well as increased privacy. The emergency department will remain open and operational through the two-year renovation process.
漏2025 Baltimore Sun.
Visit .
Distributed by