Harlingen Medical Center opened the doors to its newly constructed, multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art Emergency Room with a Red Ribbon Cutting Ceremony hosted on Thursday, June 22, 2017, at the new ER’s Main Entrance Lobby.
The nationally recognized and award-winning Harlingen Medical Center completed construction on the Emergency Room that more than doubles the size of its current ER. It features more than 20-treatment rooms, two trauma bays, fast-track bays (including pediatric and geriatric patient rooms), an isolation room, and triage rooms off of the ER Main Lobby to provide quick assessment of patients.
According to Harlingen Medical Center Executives, the newly constructed Emergency Room (Level IV Trauma Designation) provides a more comfortable environment for the efficient care and treatment of patients, and, addresses the growing demand for patient care in South Texas.
“With every detail and design of this project we now have an even more efficient and effective Emergency Room, which significantly improves the patient experience,” said Brenda Ivory, President & Chief Executive Officer at Harlingen Medical Center. “The needs of our community have grown over the last several years and we are growing to meet those needs.”
The Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce was on-hand to celebrate the milestone with the Executive Leadership of Prime Healthcare Services and Harlingen Medical Center. They presented a formal Red-Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. All members of the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the community, were invited to attend. At the closing of the ceremony – those in attendance were treated to tours of the Emergency Room – hosted by ER staff.
“During the Emergency Room tours, our guests had an insight look at our new technology, equipment, state-of-the-art facility, and the highly competent staff that we have here,” said Amy Flores, Chief Nursing Officer & Vice President of Clinical Services. “Our guests also had the opportunity to see how we are further expanding our capabilities to take care of the most critical patients in need of medical attention.”
Designed and built by The Austin Company with input from the hospital’s leadership, physicians, and clinical staff, the entire construction and expansion project included nearly 27,000 square feet of new structure and re-purposed space.
The new Emergency Room features warm décor, brightly colored paintings, large windows and private patient treatment rooms.
“The Harlingen Medical Center Emergency Room is known for its efficient and high-quality medical care,” said Dr. Stephen McMillan, Medical Director and Trauma Director of the Emergency Room at Harlingen Medical Center. “This new, but, experienced ER is going to certainly allow patients to continue to receive emergency treatment when they need it, as rapidly as they need it, from the most experienced board-certified emergency physicians available in Cameron County.”
The opening of the new Emergency Room initiates the next phase of the multi-million dollar expansion and renovation project that the hospital launched in July of 2016. The expansion of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories will commence in the area which has housed the former Emergency Room since the opening of the hospital in October of 2002. The “cath lab” expansion will feature three catheterization suites.
The Harlingen Medical Center’s cardiac program recently garnered a highly desired recognition by Consumer Reports (the independent, non-profit organization that works side-by-side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world). It ranked Harlingen Medical Center as 1 of 2 hospitals in the State of Texas and 1 of the Top 500 in the country, as a Top U.S. hospital for heart surgery including, coronary artery bypass surgery and aortic valve replacement.
In collaboration with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) (an entity that collects data directly from hospitals on several key measures, including actual mortality and complication rates), Consumer Reports recognized Harlingen Medical Center with a “Better Than Expected” rating for the procedure of “coronary artery bypass” and “As Expected” rating for the procedure of “aortic valve replacement.”
Beyond the expansion of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories – the expansion and renovation project will continue with the addition of an Operating Room Suite; expansion of the Day Patient Surgery Department, including five patient prep stations; construction of new Imaging Suites, which will include CT Scan, X-Ray and ultrasound rooms; and, relocation of the Gastroenterology Laboratory – featuring new GI Suites and a Cystoscopy Room.
Harlingen Medical Center’s Gastrointestinal Laboratory remains the first in Cameron County to be certified by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, for following national guidelines designed to improve the quality of care for gastrointestinal patients.
To learn more about Harlingen Medical Center, please visit www.HarlingenMedicalCenter.com.