MDNews - Mid Hudson

COVER FEATURE THE AFTER SHOT THE EXPANSION AND renovations of the emergency department (ED) at Good Samaritan Hospital, which will bring the total number of private treatment rooms to 32, is only the fi rst wave of planned growth. Before the end of the next decade, patients can expect to see the unit add another 18 treatment rooms. For patient comfort, each room in the expansion section will be complete with Emergency medical technicians from William P. Faist Volunteer Ambulance Corps leave the emergency department after bringing in a patient. Already in place and ready to be expanded once the new facility is opened, advanced Philips cardiac monitors are at every bedside. The device boasts a wire- less connection to the ConnectCare system and the ability to perform an electrocardiogram at just the touch of a button without having to wheel the EKG machine over to the patient each time. “This equipment is able to send a patient’s vital signs from the bedside directly to the EMR system,” says Dr. Blaufeux. “The transmission is in real time and is automated, which means nurses and physician assistants are not tasked with continuously recording vital signs and are freed to focus on other aspects of a patient’s care.” A Mini Radiology Department While the ED currently has two X-ray rooms and a portable ultrasound, the department will acquire two more X-ray monitors and its own computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner. Currently, as with the laboratory services, ED patients share the imaging services at Good Samaritan Hospital with patients from other departments. Should a patient need a CAT scan to clarify a diagnosis, he or she is transferred to the radiology suite and waits, sometimes literally in a line of stretchers with the possibility of being shifted in favor of another more pressing case. As Dr. Blaufeux explains, a CAT scan dedicated to ED use only will allow the staff to prioritize patient order based on its patients’ diagnostic needs rather than the surgical fl oor’s schedule or another unit’s appointments. In addition, transfer times will be eliminated from patients’ 10 | Mid Hudson MD NEWS  MDNEWS.COM access to natural light and a TV. Keeping in mind the areas the ED has explored for improved clinical and effi ciency practices, the fi rst stage of the long-term expansion will include: + Additional imaging equipment, including a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner just for the ED + Enhanced functionality of ConnectCare, the electronic medical record system, in connection with the rest of the hospital + Enlarged receiving area for ambulance patients and other emergency medical services transport + Two treatment rooms designed for gynecological exams Left to right: Brian Blaufeux M.D., FACEP, Medical Director of the emergency department; Linda Dietterich R.N., emergency department Nursing Director; and Cathleen Tunno R.N., emergency department Assistant Nurse Manager total stay times, and ED providers will be able to maintain continuous supervision of their patients from the CAT scanner control room, which is particularly important for those patients with more severe conditions than others. Expansion Through Improvement “Between the technological improve- ments and the process advancements, the Good Samaritan Hospital ED is able to provide our community with the best possible care performed by expert staff,” says Dr. Blaufeux. “We are hitting all fronts to offer state-of-the-art services effectively in a pleasing environment.” To learn more about the emergency department at Good Samaritan Hospital, visit www.goodsamhosp.org and click on “Emergency Department” under the “Our Services” tab. n

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