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Mease Countryside reinvents ER

The Safety Harbor hospital's new emergency room is the last major phase of a $99-million expansion.

By EILEEN SCHULTE
Published September 22, 2005

SAFETY HARBOR - Back in 1985 when Mease Countryside Hospital first opened, its emergency room had just six beds.

Now, thousands of lacerations, broken legs and heart attacks later, the medical facility's new $18-million, 40-bed emergency department will open at 5 a.m. Tuesday to meet the demands of the rapidly growing Pinellas and west Hillsborough County communities.

At 32,000 square feet, it is three times the size of the old ER, and tries to meet both the physical and emotional needs of patients and their families.

"We hope that we can get patients out faster," said Beth Hardy, a hospital spokeswoman.

During the 18-month planning stage, Mease Countryside officials consulted its physicians, nurses and patients to help them design the perfect facility.

A team even visited Winchester Medical Center in Virginia and Strong Memorial Hospital in New York to see firsthand how those facilities, which are considered to be national centers of excellence in terms of efficiency, operate.

Officials wanted to turn patients' visits to the emergency room into a less traumatic experience, said James A. Pfeiffer, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Morton Plant Mease Health Care. "We want to manage their psychological condition as well as their physical condition," he said.

The amenities begin outside with valet parking. The ER's roof is tilted so that during a storm rain will run off and turn into a waterfall spilling into a rock garden.

Inside, the lobby has a skylight and expanded children's play area. Deeper within the facility, there are 40 treatment rooms with doors instead of curtains for more privacy, TVs and reclining chairs. In the two new gynecological treatment rooms, there are private bathrooms.

The interior of the ER is open and airy. Nurses' stations are in the middle, surrounded by the treatment rooms. Counter tops are only 4 feet tall so doctors and other medical personnel have an unobstructed view of the entire ER.

There are separate ambulance and walk-in entrances, outside showers for those exposed to hazardous materials, three critical care rooms and two triage rooms. Eight of the patient treatment rooms are "fast track" rooms for patients with minor illnesses and injuries.

"We'll use our electronic patient tracking system to improve efficiency," Hardy said.

For those with contagious diseases, there are four isolation rooms.

There is digital X-ray equipment and a CT scanner in the department, providing doctors with instant radiology information.

Physicians can access and view X-rays and CT scans using a flat screen computer in each treatment room.

Physicians also get lab results faster, thanks to a new streamlined process.

For example, technicians can do simple blood sugar tests on site.

A study by the American Hospital Association in 2003 showed that more than 115-million people visited emergency rooms for treatment for various health problems.

According to Mease Dunedin officials, visits to its emergency room increased by 20 percent from 1999 to 2001, making it the third busiest in Pinellas County.

The trend continued in the early part of this decade. In 2002, there were 42,384 patients; in 2003, there were 44,277; and in 2004, there were 43,945. Hospital spokeswoman Beth Hardy said the number was down slightly last year because of construction on the new ER.

This year, the hospital expects to treat 45,000 patients in its new emergency department.

The ER is the last major construction phase of a $99-million expansion project. It was designed by Flad & Associates of Gainesville, and built by Brasfield & Gorrie LLC of Orlando.

"It marries comfort, technology and efficiency," said Dr. Roberto Bellini, the hospital's medical director.

Eileen Schulte can be reached at 727 445-4153 or schulte@sptimes.com

Opening: Sept. 27

Cost: $18-million

Expected capacity: 45,000 patients annually

32 private treatment rooms, some with windows

Eight "fast track," or minor injury treatment rooms

Children's play area

[Last modified September 22, 2005, 01:03:19]