After more than a decade of planning and 33 months of construction, medical staff in Brantford General Hospital’s emergency department finally have a new home that will help them better serve patients today and into the future, says Dr. Somaiah Ahmed.

The chief and medical director of emergency medicine at the Brant Community Healthcare System called the recent opening of the redeveloped emergency room a testament to the community.

“None of this would have been possible without the community advocacy, the political advocacy and the donations from the community to provide all of the furnishings and all of the new equipment,” said Ahmed. “This whole project is a testament to the community that is going to bring us into the next era of emergency patient care in Brantford.”

Donors contributed over $8 million towards both the local share requirement as well as providing the funding for the furnishings fixtures and equipment for the ED project.

Planning for the $32.4 redevelopment project began more than a decade ago as healthcare system officials and community leaders recognized that a more modern emergency department was needed to meet the needs of a growing community.

At present, the emergency room treats about 58,000 patients annually.

The new emergency department covers 2,120.5-square-metres (22,825-square-feet), up from the 1440-square-metres (15,500-square-feet) of the previous emergency department. It includes a new walk-entrance room and the waiting room has a lot of natural light. Other features include new offices, a renovated extended stay area and upgraded ambulance and EMS parking and drop-off areas.

“Having dedicated spaces for mental health patients, those in crisis, having dedicated ambulatory assessment area and being able to see a large number of people who, while they may have lower needs, still need to be in the emergency department, will help us operate more efficiently and effectively,” Ahmed said.

“We’ve also opened up a dedicated staff area, our staff do all they can to help patients and now they have a place where they can have a proper nutrition break or have a moment after dealing with a difficult patient situation. All of that was part of the vision, it was all about creating spaces that are better for patient care.”

The emergency department continued to provide care throughout the more than 33 months of renovations and Ahmed thanked staff for their dedication. The staff, she said, showed a lot of resiliency.

The changes and the resulting operational efficiencies will help reduce patient wait times. There will also be another benefit.

There is a national physician and nursing shortage making medical professional recruitment a challenge for most communities. A modern, new emergency department will help make the Brant Community Healthcare System and Brantford General Hospital more appealing to potential medical professional recruits.

Meanwhile, Ahmed said completion of the renovation after so many months is a relief.

“I’ve described this in various ways and what I say is this ‘we’ve bought a new home and now we get to move in,” Ahmed said. “Now, we get to work in the space and improve our practices and systems inside so that they match our space.

“That’s the work we all signed up for as physicians, how can we make things better.”

Read the article on The Brantford Expositor 

Article courtesy of Vincent Ball (The Brantford Expositor).

Photo courtesy of Brant Community Healthcare System.