EL DORADO — Patients and visitors entering the emergency department of the Medical Center of South Arkansas will find a warmer, softer space that has been retrofitted and expanded to include the latest technology and to improve efficiency and the overall quality of patient care.
An unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Thursday to announce the completion of the $3 million project, which got under way last October.
The event drew a who’s who of community leaders and officials, some of whom addressed the crowd and discussed how services, operations and facilities at the hospital are related to the overall economic health of El Dorado and Union County.
Jeremy Stratton, president and chief executive officer of the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce, said a strong hospital with good doctors, nurses and support staff plays a vital role in business and industry recruitment and quality of life.
Stratton touted the multi million-dollar expansion project, calling it an investment that can bolster the hospital’s economic effect – through payroll, taxes, and suppliers and vendors – on the community.
He said the chamber is planning events to gather input from local officials, businesses and industries on how best to approach economic development in El Dorado, and the Medical Center of South Arkansas will have a seat at the table.
“We need to all work together and be on the same page when it comes to economic development, and that includes working with the hospital,” Stratton said.
Having spent 26 years on active duty with the U.S. Army Medical Department, Mayor Frank Hash told the crowd that he learned firsthand the value of solid medical services and facilities.
The mayor said that while he supports economic growth in El Dorado, “we also need to take care of what we got.”
Michael Portacci, president of Division II Operations for Community Health Services, which owns and manages the Medical Center of South Arkansas, said the expansion was needed to better accommodate the 20,000 visits the ER handles per year. He added that half of the medical center’s patient admissions come through the emergency department.
“Our job is to supply the hospital with resources, clinical and non-clinical, and capital,” he said, adding that the Medical Center of South Arkansas is one of the largest employers in south Arkansas with a staff of more than 500 and an annual payroll of $29 million.
During a reception, attendees watched a video presentation in which hospital employees guided them on a virtual tour of the new, 8,100-square-foot emergency department and provided testimonials on how the new space has improved their abilities to do their jobs. The video was scored with the theme music of the popular 1990s TV show, ER.
Improvements including the addition of a three-bay triage room and an open registration area are intended to help improve flow and serve patients within 30 minutes.
Larger private patient rooms, new technology and a private consultation room are designed to enhance the patient experience, and with a second trauma room, the medical center strengthened its ability to respond to serious accidents and injuries.