Hospital upgrade finished
EAST FRANKLIN TWP, Armstrong County — After a year and a half of working around construction, the ACMH Hospital this past week unveiled its $5.7 million expanded Emergency Department.
The facility has nearly doubled in size, increasing from 5,800 square feet to 10,500 square feet. It also is designed to sort emergency cases into two levels — acute and express care — based on the seriousness of the case.
A ceremony Wednesday opened the renovated department.
The acute side of the department, which is for serious emergencies, has 10 treatment rooms, all with sliding glass doors for privacy, a gynecology room with in-suite bathroom and a bariatric room with a ceiling mounted lift designed for patients up to 1,000 pounds.
Jeanne Graff, vice president of patient services, said the sliding glass doors include curtains for both visual and audio privacy.
“It’s a much more relaxing atmosphere,” she said.
The new facility also features a seclusion room and a trauma and resuscitation room.
On the express care side, which is for minor injuries and ailments, there are three treatment rooms and eight cubicles for ambulatory patients waiting for results or receiving treatment.
Joyce Wright, the executive director of operation excellence, said this part of the department is slower moving while still achieving a high level of care. She said while the express side may receive care at a slightly slower pace, it is generally due to patients waiting for test results.
According to Wright, the express side still works at a pace averaged at 1.8 hours per patient.
Wright said the patients have responded well to the new system and facility based on survey feedback.
“We’ve seen a lot of really positive comments about our staff and our new facility,” she said.
