Acadia General Hospital cuts ribbon on new Emergency Department

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at Acadia General Hospital (AGH) today to officially mark the completion of the new emergency department (ED). Lafayette General Health and AGH board members, administrators and staff, along with city dignitaries and Lafayette General Foundation donors, were all part of the celebration held outside of the ER entrance.

Construction on the $4 million expansion and renovation project broke ground in December of last year and was completed in advance of the scheduled 12-14 month timeframe. The new, 7,500 square foot space was funded, in part, by donations and includes separate ambulance and public entryways. It features nine patient rooms, one trauma room, two triage rooms, two holding rooms and waiting for 35, among other dedicated specialty care areas. The original ER was 3,000 square feet and built to serve 600 patients per month. Acadia General Hospital currently sees 1,850 patients per month in its emergency department. The new ER will be open to patients within the next two weeks.

“In the new emergency department, private rooms have replaced curtained bays to enhance patient privacy and there is a dedicated space for behavioral health patients. It was designed to enhance the patient experience and to continue offering quality care to the residents of Acadia Parish. Additionally, patients will have access to the newest, most sophisticated medical technology right here at home,” said Acadia General Hospital CEOJoseph Mitchell.

Today, the AGH ED has more than 22,000 visits year and the redeveloped ED includes additional space for emergency services to provide adequate patient care and family waiting. In addition the new ED features:

• Redesigned entry area to better triage patients, evaluate them and refer for appropriate level of care
• Expansion of exam and treatment rooms to handle patient volume
• Expanded trauma room for the most critically injured to better handle equipment and staff during care
• Improved privacy in patient treatment areas and nursing work area
• More comfortable waiting area(s) for patient families
• A dedicated psychiatric treatment area
• Improved entrances for both walk-in and ambulance patients
• Redesign of clinical and office work areas for improved staff flow

“In a situation where seconds count, the emergency room can be the difference between life and death. By enlarging our ER and making it more efficient, we’re prepared to meet the needs of even more patients in distress. It’s all part of fulfilling our mission to restore, maintain and improve health,” continued Mitchell.

According to the Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA), this construction project has had the following economic impact in Crowley:

• Acadia General Hospital has 311 employees with an annual payroll of over $16.7 million
• The ER has 30 employees with a payroll of nearly $2 million
• The total cost of construction for new ER is $4 million.
• The overall economic impact on the area for this project is $5.6 million. Every dollar spent on construction has pumped an extra $.33 into the surrounding economy which includes an additional 41 jobs and $1.5 million in wages.
• The additional economic activity has benefited the state and local tax revenue by approximately $95,000.

“When Lafayette General came to Crowley in 2014, we promised to do everything we could to bolster healthcare in Acadia Parish. Back then, I stated that we knew we could make positive changes to this hospital and the community as a whole. I believe that TODAY more than ever as we mark another milestone along the journey of Acadia General Hospital and celebrate the grand opening of this new ER,” said Lafayette General Health President David L. Callecod, FACHE.