Riverside, CA – Riverside Community Hospital, part of the HCA Healthcare Far West Division, officially opened its newly expanded emergency department (ED) to help improve patient access for emergency and trauma services throughout the Inland Empire. The $7.5 million ED expansion project started in October 2017 and opened on April 29th at the original 14th Street entrance. In addition to increasing the ED capacity from 50 to 64 beds, the ED expansion project includes a remodeled patient care area as well as these additional features:
- New Fast Track area to reduce ED wait times
- New comfortably-designed and family-friendly waiting areas
- New electronic kiosks to expedite patient check-in
- Two (2) ED pediatric physicians
- Enhanced safety and security technology
- New lab draw station to help improve efficiency and promote faster testing
- New imaging room for X-ray needs
On April 17th, Riverside Community Hospital hosted a private ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the Phase I completion of the ED expansion project with physicians, staff, and community business leaders along with special guests consisting of city and political officials. Those in attendance included Ward 1 Riverside City Council member Mike Gardner, representatives from Senator Roth's office, and Assembly member Jose Medina’s office who all presented certificates in recognition of the ED expansion during the ceremony.
Last year, Riverside Community Hospital was the first hospital on the West Coast and second in the nation to receive an advanced stroke certification for Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Centers (TSC) by The Joint Commission. Earlier this year, the hospital was accredited as a Comprehensive Stroke Center and received verification as a Level II Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee (VRC) through the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
“A significant amount of planning went into the design of the new ED to not only increase the number of ED beds, but also optimize patient flow so that we can continue to offer a higher level of care to all ED and trauma patients coming to our hospital,” says Paulina Tam, Chief Operating Officer for Riverside Community Hospital. “We are committed to providing compassionate care and improving the overall health of our community.”
As a Level II Trauma Center with one of the busiest trauma programs in Southern California, Riverside Community Hospital's emergency department cares for more than 124,000 patients and 4,000 trauma patients annually. Last year, Riverside Community Hospital treated close to 1,000 strokes alone and cared for more than 15,000 cardiac patients, which is why the decision to expand and renovate the Emergency Department was imperative to meet the needs of a growing community.
“As we work to complete Phases 2 and 3 of the ED expansion project, this will put us in a better position to take care of more patients in our community as well as patients from outlying regions who require a higher level of care and need access to our specialized services,” says Paulina Tam. “This ED expansion project also offers us the ability to implement more advanced technology so that our highly skilled ED staff can take better care of patients.”