Livingwell Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center
Whatever you do, do it well. Annual Report
Your New-Look Home for Emergent Care
During the winter, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center completed a renovation of its emergency department (ED) that has changed the way residents of the North Country receive emergent care.
THE IMPETUS FOR the project—which began last May and ended earlier this year—was provided by a HEAL NY (Healthcare Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers) grant Claxton-Hepburn received to increase the size and efficiency of the ED's mental health area. This area serves as an entry portal for patients who may require care at the Mental Health Center, a 28-bed, acute-care psychiatric unit.
"The new mental health area is a huge improvement over its predecessor because it is somewhat separate from the rest of the ED, which can be a hectic place at times," says H. Theodor Klaudt, MD, FACEP, medical director of the ED at Claxton-Hepburn. "When a patient presents to the ED with emotional distress, the last thing he or she needs is to be in the fast-paced environment of the department as a whole. The mental health area's three
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"When revamping the emergency department, we added a triage area so nursing could be first to see an incoming patient. We also established a rapid-treatment area to decrease wait times and increase efficiency, and have rooms ready for very sick people."
— Julianne Sciorra, RN, director of the ED at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center
spring 2012
Volume 11 Number 2