HARLINGEN — Even hospitals can be better prepared for emergencies.
Harlingen Medical Center officials are certain that’s the case after unveiling the emergency room phase of their planned $8.5 million overhaul.
“Since opening our doors in 2002, almost 15 years now, we’ve realized about a 50 percent increase in our patient visits to our ED,” president and CEO Brenda Ivory told the crowd Thursday morning. “The renovation and the expansion project is really driven by our community’s increased demand for emergency services.”
The Emergency Department renovation nearly doubles the size of the allotted space, featuring 20 treatment rooms, two trauma bays, fast-track bays, an isolation room and triage rooms. Additional construction over the next eight months will remake space for the cardiac catheter lab, imaging, cysto room, endoscopy and recovery.
“Even though we’re so excited to open our ED, we’re also just as excited to get on with Phase II of our construction,” Ivory said of the project.
Harlingen Medical Center is one of 44 for-profit hospitals in 14 states owned and operated by Prime Healthcare based in California.
In addition to HMC, Prime Healthcare owns and operates Dallas Medical Center, Dallas Regional Medical Center, Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco and Pampa Regional Medical Center.
