The updated and expanded emergency department at the east campus of Genesis Medical Center is to open later this month.
Ten beds have been added to the unit, including four that are specifically designed to serve those in need of mental-health treatment.
Genesis announced in the spring that it would close the emergency department at its west campus on West Central Park Avenue. Earlier this month it opened a new emergency department in Bettendorf.
The Genesis HealthPlex on 53rd Avenue has nine beds and is expected to see about 9,600 patients annually, said Jordan Voigt, president of Genesis Davenport.
On average, there were 64,000 annual visits between the east and west campuses, Voigt said, adding that about 5,000 of those patients were traveling from Bettendorf and are expected to choose the new location for care.
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In the meantime, the east campus emergency department underwent a modernization that includes the 10 additional beds with four specifically for mental-health needs. All 10 are in a separate wing and intended for fast-track care, Voigt said.
He gave the example of bringing in a child with an ear infection. Being in an emergency department next to someone experiencing cardiac arrest could be traumatic for the child. With the new unit, people who need urgent care but not 24/7 care can be seen in a less stressful environment.
Six rooms are dedicated for the lower-acuity patients and four are in a secured unit adjacent to them. Those are intended for behavioral health patients who need the privacy a standard ER cannot offer.
Voigt said some community push back followed the announcement Genesis was closing the emergency department at the west campus, because of it being home to the in-patient behavioral health unit.
The east campus ER is a level III trauma center with 17 operating rooms. By consolidating, staff are able to treat patients with a higher level of care, he said.
"Everything you need being here, frankly, is the best quality of care. We can also streamline patients to get them over to West," he said.
The behavioral health unit is secure and includes private rooms with TVs, cameras to allow staff to watch patients closely and its own private bathrooms. The goal is to get patients the help they need quickly and move them along, depending on what is best for them.
"What we don't want to do is hold these patients. We want to assess, then get them to the next level of care," he said.
Dr. Destinee T. DeLemos , co-medical director of the Genesis emergency department said the addition of the behavioral health unit is crucial for care. Having it tucked away from the rest of the department is helpful for patients who need a calm, quiet environment.
"Having a unit away from the chaos of the main ED and the business of trauma is essential in helping stabilize their medical condition," she said. "The beauty of this unit is it's a much less hustle-and-bustle place."
A separate entrance also allows for privacy in the unit. DeLemos described the ER as "a little like Las Vegas; it never sleeps." For people who are staying for several days, it can be difficult to sleep and recover. The new unit promotes a level of comfort and stability a busy ER cannot.
"The truth is, these patients need a lot of care, and this allows us to better utilize our staff and care for them," she said.
