The New Emergency Department

Acute Care Wing weekly update

Patient privacy is a hallmark of the Emergency Department in the new Acute Care Wing. A private waiting room with seating for 15 people and two wheelchairs will keep patients away from the main hospital traffic. Access to other hospital services required by emergency department patients will take place via dedicated patient service elevators and patient-only corridors.

Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) Chairman Jonathan Brewin said: “We recognise it can be very unpleasant at the moment for very unwell or injured patients to be wheeled through public areas in order to reach x-ray, ultrasound, and CT or MRI services.

“The new Emergency Department is 13,437 square feet with 15 fully equipped treatment rooms. Patients will enjoy the privacy this provides over the current, curtained sectioning. “

BHB CEO Venetta Symonds said: “We are proud of the improvements the new facility affords us in our delivery of care to the public. The resuscitation rooms are good example of this. The new Emergency Department has a dual trauma/resuscitation (resus) room which allows teams to work on two patients in the same room – a benefit in many accident cases. There are two additional trauma/resus rooms one of which is equipped for paediatric cases.”

Ambulances will be able to rush patients directly into resus rooms in a true, high acuity emergency such as heart attack, stroke or bad road accident. However all rooms are equipped for resuscitation should a more stable patient suddenly deteriorate.

Also of note is that two of the 15 assessment rooms are negative pressure isolation rooms. Having the negative pressure increases infection control by minimising the spread of disease from patients with highly communicable illnesses.

The Emergency Department will move to the new Acute Care Wing this September. If you have any questions about departments and services moving to the new wing, please contact Cathy Stovell on 239-1006 or email her on cathy.stovell@bhb.bm.

Support your new Acute Care Wing with a donation to the Why It Matters campaign. Visit www.bhct.bm for more information.

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