Medical Center of Lewisville (MCL) announced this week the approval of corporate funding to construct a new $17 million 24-bed Emergency Department.
The construction and renovation will address capacity constraints, aesthetic issues, and improve patient satisfaction, according to hospital officials.
“The nursing care has always been the one thing that makes this hospital stand out from other facilities,” said Carl Menckhoff, MD, medical director of Emergency Services. “This is the last piece needed to make Medical Center of Lewisville stand out as the world-class facility that it is.”
An approximately 20,000 square foot addition will be constructed adjacent to the existing structure to house a new 24-bed Emergency Department (ED). A small portion of the existing ED, which includes 17-beds and totals approximately 8,700 square feet, will then receive major renovations for connectivity between the addition and main facility and to provide some additional support space for the ED.
The current Emergency Department will remain open during the construction with no interruption in services. Elm Street will continue to be accessible during the construction.
Construction on the new state-of-the-art Emergency Department will begin in the first quarter of 2014 and take about 15 months to complete. The $17 million in expenditures will be comprised of $12.5 million for construction improvements and $4.5 million for equipment. The City of Lewisville’s Economic Development and Planning department recently approved tax incentives that enabled the hospital to receive final funding approval from HCA.
“We are excited by this planned expansion of facilities and services at Medical Center of Lewisville,” said Lewisville Mayor Dean Ueckert. “Our local hospital is a vital part of this community and a great partner with the City through our special events and naming rights at our public arts center. We’re happy to be a part of the continued success at Medical Center of Lewisville.”
As the community surrounding the hospital continues to grow, the current Emergency Department has seen a significant increase in volume. ED visits in 2010 were just under 41,000 but grew to more than 46,000 in 2012. “We have outgrown our current space,” said Ashley McClellan, Chief Executive Officer at Medical Center of Lewisville. “The proposed expansion and renovation of the ED will enhance quality of patient care, increase efficiency, and improve patient perception and satisfaction that is consistent with MCL’s high service standards.”
Medical Center of Lewisville recently executed several successful service line expansion initiatives, which place an even greater demand on the ED. Expanded Cardiovascular Services (including open heart surgeries) began in July 2012. The hospital became Stroke accredited in August 2012, and is currently pursuing Level IV Trauma designation with an anticipated survey date of February 2014. With higher acuity patients, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) volume has increased 23% for August 2013 YTD over prior year. In addition, MCL has a pediatric hospitalist program and partners with Medical City Children’s Hospital (a sister facility within the HCA North Texas Division) to provide a high level of pediatric care. The Emergency Department expansion design will include a separate entrance for pediatric patients.
Given the current capacity constraints, Medical Center of Lewisville has focused on quality improvements to improve patient flow. These efforts helped reduce the minutes from entry to physician greeting time to decrease from 33 to 12 minutes. Earlier this year, the hospital received the Texas Hospital Association’s Bill Aston Quality Award for patient flow and ED throughput.
The hospital, which has been a part of the local community for more than 37 years, is a part of the HCA North Texas Division. Nashville-based HCA is the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services.
Pictured above: Lynn O’Neill, Chief Nursing Officer, Carl Menckhoff. MD, medical director of Emergency Services, and Ashley McClellan, Chief Executive Officer, announce plans for expansion of the Emergency Department at Medical Center of Lewisville.
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