Saint Francis Emergency Department expansion meets increasing need

Saint Francis Medical Center has completed the expansion and renovation of its Gene E. Huckstep Emergency and Trauma Center to meet the increasing need for emergency care in the Cape Girardeau region. The project is especially important to the area because it is the region's only state-designated Level III Trauma Center. This acknowledges that Saint Francis has the resources immediately available to provide efficient medical care and surgical interventions to treat the most serious life-threatening and disabling injuries.

"The reason for the expansion was to increase the ability of patients to access emergency care easily and efficiently," says M. Kevin Hammond, MD, emergency medicine physician at Saint Francis. "Efficiency is key so we can provide our patients the very best care while also maintaining a good rate of turnover." The Emergency and Trauma Center serves as a resource for five states and nearly 650,000 people. It treats more than 30,000 emergency patients and more than 1,750 trauma patients each year. Medical Center-based, emergency medicine physicians staff the center 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Adding nearly 30,000 square feet to the current 11,600, the expansion brings important resources and state-of-the-art technology, enhance efficiency, and takes emergency care to a higher level in the region. It houses Saint Francis' certified Chest Pain Center and accredited Stroke Center. The expanded Emergency and Trauma Center also includes additional imaging technology and uses an automated documentation system to increase patient safety and save critical time.

The second phase of construction completed in February 2011 renovated 11,000 square feet of the old Emergency Department. The facility, which opened to patient care on February 8 at the newly expanded capacity, boasts 26 treatment rooms arranged in a cloverleaf of three pods around a central physicians work area. Most of the 26 private treatment rooms have direct access to bathrooms, and three internal waiting areas allow families to remain close to their loved ones. Built around a universal-room model, the design gives physicians, nurses and staff greater flexibility in caring for patients and allows patients to receive care in one room. Created with input from Saint Francis' emergency medicine physicians and staff, the design team finalized the expansion plans after an extensive review of other emergency centers around the nation.

Saint Francis' Emergency and Trauma Center recently received reaccreditation as the only state-designated Level III Trauma Center in the region. "All accredited trauma centers must meet a stringent set of requirements, which are re-evaluated every five years," says Robert Grayhek, MBA, BSN, RN, Trauma and Disaster Services director at Saint Francis. "The accreditation process examines regulatory compliance within the categories of quality, education, systems, personnel and facilities and involves both substantial documentation and an on-site review." Saint Francis President and Chief Executive Officer Steven C. Bjelich, FACHE-D, says, "Because of the Medical Center's commitment to the community, it invests in the development, continued improvement and certification necessary to be deemed the region's only Level III Trauma Center."

Saint Francis Medical Center

For information on the Emergency and Trauma Center, please call 573-331-5776.