LVH-Cedar Crest Emergency Room Expands

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (Dec. 17, 2007) - To better meet the needs of the Lehigh Valley, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network's (LVHHN)-Cedar Crest and I-78 campus recently completed the first phase of a two-part expansion of the emergency department (ED).

The ED expansion project, which coincides with the soon-to-open seven-story Kasych Family Pavilion patient tower, includes new patient rooms, a bigger waiting room and more patient parking.

"The emergency department has two main functions, to treat patients with illness or injury and help determine if a patient would need ongoing care by being admitted to the hospital," LVHHN's associate vice-chair of emergency medicine, David Richardson, M.D., said. "The emergency department is the entry point for a large percentage of hospital admissions. With this expansion, we are growing to meet the increasing demand for emergency care."

As part of the expansion, the new ED now has seven additional patient exam rooms, and an express care waiting area. "With more rooms, we are better equipped to reach our goals of treating patients quickly and with the greatest level of privacy and comfort," Richardson said.

The new rooms are outfitted with lockable supply carts and cabinets that are stocked with more than 160 supply items frequently used by staff to care for patients. Normally things like syringes and IV catheters are locked up and away from the rooms for the safety of our patients and visitors. "This is an inefficient process for our staff," Richardson said. "But keeping the supplies securely and safely locked in the supply carts and available to staff keeps our nurses and technical partners at the bedside, instead of wasting valuable time hunting for supplies and potentially getting sidetracked."

Also part of the ED expansion at LVH-Cedar Crest & I-78:

• Express ED road - the new road services the ED exclusively for patients, visitors and EMS.
• Express care area - In addition to seven new patient rooms in the ED, a new express care waiting area has been added for patients with less serious injuries and illnesses.
• Additional parking - the number of parking spaces dedicated to the ED has more than tripled from 23 to 90.
• Additional triage room - another triage room (used for evaluating patients) was added bringing the total to three.
• Bigger waiting room - the waiting room has more than doubled in size to accommodate more patients and visitors. More vending machine options have been added, and two larger gender-specific bathrooms also have been added.

"A visit to the emergency department is almost always unanticipated and filled with uncertainty," Richardson said. "Our goal is to provide the best emergency services in an environment that is as pleasant and as safe as possible. The expanded emergency department and the new Kasych Family Pavilion means that we'll have an increased ability to meet the needs of our patients and community."

The new Kasych Family Pavilion official dedication will be held on Jan. 4, 2008, with a community open house and tour scheduled for Jan. 5, 2008 from 1-4 p.m. Once completed, the new patient tower will have 182 private patient rooms. The tower is also set to become LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, a national benchmark for "green" or environmentally sensitive buildings.

The second phase of the ED expansion will add 13 patient exam rooms, bringing the total to 41, and two new trauma bays, bringing the total to four.

A premier academic community hospital, Lehigh Valley Health Network includes three hospital facilities - two in Allentown and one in Bethlehem, Pa. - and Lehigh Valley Health Services, providing home health, hospice, pharmaceutical and health management services. In 2007, US News & World Report named Lehigh Valley Hospital one of America's Best Hospitals for the twelfth straight year. LVHN's advanced regional resources include a Level I Trauma Center with added pediatric qualifications; a regional referral Burn Center for critical care burn patients; national certification as a Primary Stroke Center; the largest cancer program in the region and fourth largest in Pennsylvania; the Regional Heart Center - the second largest heart program in the Pennsylvania based on volume; and an Advanced ICU with tele-intensivists to provide an extra level of care for critical care patients.

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