It’s official: Hospital is Getting a $7 Million ER Expansion

Franklin County – January 14, 2016

Ransom Memorial Hospital (RMH) Board of Trustees approved a much-needed plan to expand the hospital’s emergency department (ED) to take care of the increasing volume demands. RMH now has Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physicians.

The hospital is planning expansion of approximately 16,000 square feet to the northwest corner of the current ED. Upon completion, the ED will be double in square footage with 12 treatment rooms. The new construction will occur first, followed by a move into the new space and renovations to the existing ED.

The number of emergency treatment rooms, currently seven, will be increased to 12 with the ability to flex up to 13 exam rooms, which includes two critical care treatment rooms and two trauma rooms. Cost of the project is $7 million. Included in this cost is the plan to expand the parking to the south of the campus. The emergency department will remain open during the entire project.

“Once again, RMH is remodeling and expanding our facilities and doing it debt-free,” said RMH Board Finance Committee Chairman, Keith Gaddert. “We are reinvesting in our community hospital. We are a debt-free hospital, one of a few in the country. We have excellent doctors, staff and facilities.”

“The project will provide a modern and appropriately-sized facility,” said Dr. John Bradley, Medical Director for the RMH Emergency Department. “It will significantly improve patient comfort, privacy and efficiency aimed at enhancing the overall quality of care and patient experience.”

In 2015, the ED saw an additional 746 patients compared to last year as of 12/31/2015. In 2014, the ED saw 11,365 patients and in 2015, RMH saw a total of 12,111 patients in ED as of 12/31/2015.

This necessary project is clearly one that will benefit the community. RMH’s patient population has grown 15% across the board; the number of patients in the ED has grown as well. In 2016, RMH is on target to see a total of 12,520 patients in the ED.

“We are bringing big city medicine to the community,” said Stacy Steiner, RMH Chief Nursing Officer. The community no longer has to drive outside the area to seek emergency care. Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physicians means they went to school to specialize in Emergency Medicine and subspecialize in the following:

• Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine
• Emergency Medical Services
• Hospice and Palliative Medicine
• Internal Medicine-Critical Care Medicine
• Medical Toxicology
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Pain Medicine
• Sports Medicine

Additionally, RMH is in pursuit of a Trauma designation. To acquire the designation, the hospital has to meet stringent standards and train the providers to care for severely injured patients who require rapid specialized treatment to ensure survival and the best recovery.

“We’re extremely excited about all that this expansion will provide for our community,” said Matt Heyn, Chief Executive Officer. “In addition to increasing the overall ED space and treatment room size to accommodate today’s patients and caregiver needs, the project is designed with the goal of enhancing efficient flow and delivery of care for our patients and their loved ones.”

A ground breaking is scheduled for the spring 2016 and a grand opening of the facility is planned for the summer of 2017.