Holy Name Press Releases

Holy Name to open new emergency room

August 14, 2008

Holy Name to open new emergency room
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Last updated: Thursday August 14, 2008, 8:02 PM
BY LINDY WASHBURN
NorthJersey.com
Staff Writer

Holy Name Hospital's new emergency room twice the size of the previous one is set to open Wednesday. The spacious new room is designed to speed the treatment of patients.

The 41-bed department also greatly increases North Jersey's capacity for treating mass casualties or victims of terrorism. In a crisis, it can accommodate twice as many beds, with a large community room in the basement that can be converted to a casualty center for about 100 more.

The Teaneck hospital treated about 42,000 emergency patients last year, an average of 115 daily. Now, it is "poised to handle significant growth well into the future," said Michael Maron, hospital president and CEO.

With the closure of Pascack Valley Hospital last year, emergency departments at the Valley Hospital, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, and Hackensack University Medical Center saw significant increases in patients. Holy Name, the third busiest, was affected least.

Emergency rooms are like a front door to the hospital for many patients. One in four emergency patients are admitted for overnight stays at community hospitals, depending on the season. As crowding has increased and waits lengthened, many hospitals have looked to make their emergency departments more attractive and efficient.

"We are hoping to be by far the fastest in Bergen County," said Dr. Richard Schwab, the Holy Name emergency department's medical director. Most patients will see a doctor within 20 minutes, he said.

The reasons emergency room use has increased vary.

"There's a growing number of uninsured," said Kerry McKean Kelly, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Hospital Association. "Some people want to go to the ER for convenience." Long waits for doctor's appointments, under certain managed care plans, also contribute.

Across the state, emergency-department visits climbed by 33 percent to 3.3 million in the 10 years ending in 2006. That mirrors national trends reported this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Visits are up, even though hospital closings mean there are fewer emergency rooms to handle them.

Yet neither the number of patients arriving by ambulance nor the number of true emergencies has increased, according to the CDC. The average wait-time nationally for emergency patients has climbed from 38 minutes in 1997 to 56 minutes in 2006, its researchers said.

In response, several local hospitals have undertaken construction projects.

Englewood Hospital and Medical Center broke ground in March on a 40-bed emergency department, slated to open in fall 2009.

St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson plans to replace its trauma center as part of a multi-stage project.

In Westwood, Hackensack University Medical Center is refurbishing the emergency room at the former Pascack Valley Hospital and plans to reopen it in October.

Holy Name's new ER design reflects the concerns of a new age of terrorism. Negative air-pressure can be used to isolate patients with deadly contagious illnesses. Decontamination showers have outside entrances and separate drains. A communication hub links the central desk to the state, emergency-medical-service personnel, and the 911 system. And independent electric and computer systems can keep the ER going during an outage.

At the same time, new privacy requirements resulted in a design that includes mostly private patient rooms, with closing glass doors.

Better technology has made it possible to increase efficiency, said Donna Gorglione, emergency department director. "Computers on wheels" roll to the bedside and connect to the patient's complete medical records, digital images, and lab results. Wireless staff-to-staff telephones link doctors and nurses wherever they are.

In addition, the hospital is boosting its fulltime emergency staff by 25 percent. Five physicians or physician-assistants supervised by doctors will be on duty during peak hours.

To keep the human emphasis, said Joe Giles, administrative director, a greeter will welcome patients. The décor uses calming colors, with backlit ceiling panels in some areas showing cherry trees and other soothing scenes.

The $22 million project is named after Dr. George P. Pitkin, a longtime local surgeon who helped found the hospital in 1925. His foundation contributed $1 million. The new construction is part of a five-year, $100-million capital replacement program, funded through bonding, philanthropy, and hospital operations.

E-mail: washburn@northjersey.com