South Shore Regional Emergency Department Set to Triple in Size
Excitement is continuing to build around the redevelopment of South Shore Regional Hospital, specifically the upcoming transformation of its Emergency Department.
On any given day in the 33-year old hospital’s Emergency Department you may find an elderly patient who has suffered a fall, a young child spiking an unexplained fever, a patient suffering from mental health challenges, or someone who has been transported by ambulance as the result of a vehicular accident.
The current Emergency Department was built to care for considerably fewer patients than the almost 20,000 annually that it sees today. Staff and doctors now face cramped spaces for triaging and isolating patients, ambulance offloading, diagnostics, patient treatment, and storage of medical supplies.
The $115.7-million redevelopment project announced by the Province in 2020 will see South Shore Regional’s Emergency Department approximately triple in square footage. The expanded capacity will help support improved wait times for patients while both patients and families will benefit from a much larger, state-of-the-art facility that is streamlined and designed to support patient-centered care.
Dr. Greg McNally has been at the helm of the regional Emergency Department for well over a decade and says the emergency health care team is really excited for this project.
“Our team’s goal is always to provide timely quality care to meet the wide range of needs of our community. The new Emergency Department will help us continue to achieve this.”
The plan for the expanded Emergency Department includes a functional new space for triage, examination, trauma, mental health, decontamination, negative air pressure and isolation, and other critical health services. It will also see the number of exam rooms increase from 14 to 20. Patients arriving by ambulance will also benefit from four weather-protected ambulance bays, which will improve patient comfort and privacy.
The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore is very excited and committed to supporting the South Shore Redevelopment Project. It will have more news to share on its volunteer-led fundraising effort in the coming months.
Media Contact:
Alison Clements
Manager, Strategic Engagement
Health Services Foundation of the South Shore
902-521-9522