Community Embraces River Oaks’ New Emergency Room

FLOWOOD—Two days after the vernal equinox marked the official onset of spring, River Oaks Hospital unveiled its new Emergency Room (ER), nearly triple the size of the original one built during the development of the hospital in 1981.

Touch screen computers in the waiting area allow visitors to learn more about River Oaks Hospital, including community events and seminars, surgical procedures, and access to a physician database listing by specialty. Information on relevant healthcare issues and concerns is also accessible through the touch screen computer system.  

Comfort and ease of flow was a major consideration during the design phase of the project. Patients now enter through a private door and are directed to the registration area. From there, patients are seated in the interactive waiting area and then on to a private exam room before circling back out through discharge.

As patients and visitors make their way from the waiting area to hallways, oversized, vivid photographic murals of Ross Barnett Reservoir and Mississippi’s natural beauty capture their attention, contributing to a serene ambience. 

“Visiting the ER is never a ‘fun’ experience,” said Dennis R. Bruns, FACHE, president and CEO of River Oaks Hospital. “Our goal is to make the visit as comfortable as possible for our patients and families. The waiting room features inviting, colorful walls, images to promote calm and a mix of lounge seating. We also offer touch screen computers where viewers can learn more about River Oaks or healthcare in general. The ultimate goal is to get people in and out as quickly as possible.”

In keeping with the interactive transformation, River Oaks Hospital implemented an iPhone app designed specifically to provide wait times, a map to the hospital, a link to the main website and the phone number. This app is often used for those not requiring immediate emergent care. The iPhone app, which follows the implementation last July of online wait times at www.RiverOaksHosp.com, was launched in January. From January to March, the average ER wait time was 6 minutes.

“The goal is to help decision making in emergency situations extra fast and extra easy,” said Bruns.

Construction of the ER began last June, a year after the Health Management Associates (NYSE: HMA) hospital filed a certificate of need for the project. With the opening of the new ER, the size jumped from 3,454 to 9,918 square feet; the staff has the capacity to treat twice as many patients. Imaging services absorb 2,086 square feet of space in the $8 million high-tech Emergency Department, part of River Oaks’ larger Vision Project that includes the 145,000-square-foot tower, which opened mid-2009 and houses the Emergency Department.

Tags:

Related:

Bookmark:

Digg

Facebook

Technorati

Newsvine

Google