Dr. Emil Nigro is a medical detective, a combination of Ben Casey and Sherlock Holmes.
As the director of emergency services at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow, he must gather clues and investigate what”™s wrong with patients.
The $11.3 million, 18,000-square-foot emergency department will open its doors this month, doubling the overall size of the hospital and giving Nigro an enhanced ability to crack medical cases.
Patient comfort, efficiency and service were key considerations in the planning.
“We believe that the new emergency department at Phelps, paid for almost entirely by private philanthropy, is the most innovative ever built in New York state,” said Keith Safian, president and CEO of Phelps. “We are proud to provide the community with this optimal environment where our physicians and nurses can continue to offer the superb emergency medical care for which they are known.”
More than 22,000 patients are treated in the emergency department at Phelps every year, and that number is expected to grow as the population ages and more development occurs in the towns and villages along the Hudson River waterfront.
As patients enter the department, they will be greeted by the sounds of a waterfall in the entry corridor.
The waiting room has been eliminated; patients are brought directly into one of 32 private rooms with walls, sliding glass doors and curtains, where they are registered, evaluated and treated.
Each patient room features a television, a telephone and two chairs so that family members can remain nearby. Family members who do not wish to be present during an evaluation have the option of waiting in one of four family waiting areas.
The new emergency department has a separate pediatric treatment area with five rooms that are specially decorated for pediatric patients, as well as an adjacent playroom with computer games.
The emergency department also has designated treatment rooms for specialized services, including critical care; obstetrics/gynecology; psychiatry; orthopedics; dentistry; minor surgery; and ear, nose and throat.
Ten of the 32 treatment rooms are designated for the PromptCare area, which provides rapid assessment and treatment of less urgent medical problems.
Patients who require diagnostic imaging no longer need to be transported to an inpatient radiology suite. The department has its own 24-hour radiology suite, complete with digital X-ray technology and a 64-slice CT scanner with cardiac capabilities to expedite testing.
For patients with infectious conditions, or who require decontamination due to radiological, biological or chemical emergencies, the emergency department has dedicated isolation and decontamination units with the latest technology and protective equipment. Each of these units has a separate ventilation system to prevent cross-contamination.
The hospital is also increasing full-time emergency department staff.
The emergency department is part of a $55 million expansion project at Phelps.
A five-year capital campaign ended last May, raising $20 million from individuals, businesses and foundations. Â
Last fall, Phelps opened a 100,000-square-foot Medical Services Building and a 750-space parking garage. When the emergency department opens, the overall size of the hospital will have doubled. The hospital also expanded two inpatient units and upgraded parking on the campus in addition to the garage.
Safian said the next project will be to decide what will become of the old emergency department and how to use the 6,000-square-foot space.
