Update: New Facility
November 2007 was the original date given for the Grand Opening of the LAC+USC Replacement facility. The projected date is sometime in September or October of this year. Designed as a 111 bed ED, we recently added plans for an observation area in the Outpatient tower, making the DEM responsible for some 130 beds. We stand to benefit as a training program as the patients previously seen in the Pediatric or Women’s ED’s will now be in the population seen by our trainees.
ER Floorplan
The new Emergency Department is divided into several unique areas or pods each of which will be staffed by a combination of Housestaff and mid-level providers. What we all know as CBooth will be replaced by a 12 bed Resuscitation Area as big as 1350. Staffed with 4 residents and 6 nurses, this pod will be the heart of the new ED. Just above the Resuscitation Area is a 14 bed Critical Area (think 1350 side booths) and north of that is a 30+ bed area (Acute Care East and West) designed to care for the slightly less ill as well as the patients currently being seen at Womens Hospital Evaluation Area (the old Women’s ED). To the West lies a 15 bed Acute Care South pod and just beyond that is a 13 bed Pediatric ED. Radiology is in the middle of all this with a dedicated CT Scanner and Ultrasound facilities.
During the process design for the new facility we tried to avoid duplicating what we have always done unless there was obvious benefit. We have put the casting and suturing materials on carts to allow us to go to the patient rather than cohorting patients by disease type. This should allow a more efficient flow and a more diverse training experience. Overall, the space is two to three times as large as our current footprint allowing us to care for more patients faster (or so we hope). Our reputation was built on excellence in teaching and clinical care and this new facility will allow us to stay at the top.
For more information visit: http://intranet.lacusc.org/web/newfacility/default.aspx
Sean O. Henderson, MD
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Preventive Medicine
Vice Chair
