In mid 2008, Huntington Hospital broke ground on the Emergency Department (ED) Expansion Project, which, upon completion, will add 20,000 square feet to the ED and nearly double its capacity to provide emergency patient care.
Community support for the project was overwhelming, and the $80 million expansion was funded entirely through community philanthropy.
The project is still underway and consists of four phases:
- Moving Fairmount Avenue and all the utilities beneath it
- Building the new facility
- Renovating the existing facility
- Installing the Aquilion 64 slice CT scanner
The ED was initially built to accommodate 30,000 patient visits per year. The expanded ED, when complete, will handle up to 80,000 patients, meeting a dire need within our community.
Completion of the new portion of the ED will occur by mid-year 2012. At that time the physicians and staff will move into the new facility and renovation construction will begin on the existing ED. This means the emergency department will be operating with only 28 active beds – only a few more than we have today.
CLICK HERE to read an article on the expansion from California Healthcare News
Timeline
Frequently Asked Questions
| How can the hospital afford this project? |
The ED expansion was funded entirely through community philanthropy. Learn more
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| How many beds are in the current ED? |
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21
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| How many beds are in the new ED? |
| 50
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How many trauma rooms are in the current ED? |
1 room , 2 beds
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| How many trauma rooms will be in the expanded ED? |
4 rooms, up to 8 beds
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| Will there be a new entrance to the ED when the project is complete? |
No. When the ED expansion is complete, the entrance will be in the same location it is today.
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| What will go into the space above the new facility? |
This is still under evaluation.
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| When will there be an open house for the community? |
Not until the entire project has been completed. Please let your friends and family know that although the building may look complete, the new addition is only one part of the expansion.
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| Will the wait times be shorter? |
In general wait times will decrease because the enlarged space allows us take care of more people at a time. However, people will always be triaged by acuteness of injury and those with more minor illnesses/injuries will still have to wait longer than those in serious condition.
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| Will the waiting area be larger? Will there be a special area for children? |
The waiting area will be larger and does include an area for children.
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For more information about the ED Expansion project, contact Jeanette Abundis, executive director of emergency and trauma services at (626) 397-5105, or Karen Knudsen, emergency department manager, at (626) 397-3782.