One of Baltimore County’s busiest emergency departments (ED) is getting a much-needed renovation, as Northwest Hospital breaks ground to reconfigure, modernize and expand its entrance, waiting areas and triage spaces. On June 26, hospital executives and staff, officials, elected officials, and community members came together on Old Court Road in Randallstown to break ground and kick off the first phase of construction.
Under the initial $6 million project, the community hospital will add approximately 2,500 square feet and renovate 5,000 square feet of the ED entrance, according to a news release. Waiting rooms will be modernized to provide additional comfort and space and triage areas reworked to offer more privacy.
Officials say they hope to build on existing initiatives to shorten stubbornly lengthy wait times—a problem Northwest and most other Maryland hospitals have been experiencing and that has gotten the attention of the Maryland General Assembly. About 85% of the hospital’s patients come through the emergency department, amounting to about 45,000 patients treated there a year. That number is expected to increase.
Hospital officials say the “patient-centered” design will more efficiently move patients through the ED by creating three pathways for emergency care: a rapid evaluation unit for patients with less urgent medical needs, a triage channel for more acutely ill patients who may need to be admitted to the hospital and a separate waiting area for behavioral health patients.
The renovation is also expected to improve the flow for the nearly one-third of patients who arrive by ambulance with life-threatening illnesses and injuries. The footprint will allow emergency medical services (EMS) providers to bring acutely ill patients directly into a triage room for immediate care.
The target period for completion is summer 2024. The emergency department will remain operational during construction, as signs direct patients to a temporary entrance.
Among those on hand for the groundbreaking were Craig Carmichael, president of Northwest Hospital and senior vice president of the parent, Life Bridge Health; Maryland Delegate Adrienne Jones, Speaker of the House who helped secure $6 million in funding for the initial phase of the project, Senator Ben Brooks, and Baltimore County councilmembers Julian Jones, Pat Young and Izzy Patoka, council chair.
See photographer George White’s photos on Facebook.
