JPS Health Network, Tarrant County’s public healthcare provider, is pleased to announce that a new expansion to the Emergency Department is now open.
The $4.2 million expansion adds 12 patient care spaces to the Emergency Department at John Peter Smith Hospital to help manage increasing numbers of patients seeking treatment. The eight-month construction project was completed on time and is projected to be under budget.
“It was designed with the patient in mind. This increased space will allow us to improve how quickly we can see patients, even as the number of patients continues to increase,” said Jesse DeWaard, Executive Director, JPS Emergency Services Division.
The new patient rooms include upgraded stretchers with bed scales for accurate medication administration, bed alarms for reducing patient falls, and electric controls that patients can adjust themselves. The mattresses are designed to help prevent pressure injuries. Each room has a television and individual thermostat controls.
The 7,663-square-foot space is adjacent to the existing Emergency Department, and includes a dedicated patient waiting area with 14 recliners and two televisions. An open nurse/provider work station has 23 spaces to foster for increased communication and collaboration among members of the patient care team.
The current Emergency Department has 56 patient care rooms, including eight dedicated trauma bays to treat severely injured patients. It typically sees 370 patients each day, up from 175 patients per day in 2008. About 33,000 patients were treated in the Emergency Department in the past three months.