Mercys Freestanding Emergency Department a First for Region
by October 13, 2014 12:00 am 139 views
In an effort to improve access to its health care services, Mercy on Sept. 25 introduced a $2.6 million freestanding emergency department, the first in Northwest Arkansas.
The ED is at Mercy Bella Vista in Benton County and began serving patients Oct. 1.
“If you look at where we are investing our time and resources you will see one common theme: increasing access to health care,” Eric Pianalto, president of Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas, said in a news release. “And sometimes that means blazing a new trail like the freestanding ED. Access to health care plays such an important role in helping all our families have the fullest life possible.”
The 24-hour ED features lab, X-ray, CT scan and a specified medical helicopter landing location. Staffed with 30 Mercy providers and co-workers, the nine-bed unit is certified to operate as a traditional hospital-based ED.
“It was an honor for Mercy to be on the front end of developing this type of service for the state of Arkansas,” Pianalto added. “In fact, soon after the state health department gave its final approval, a more rural area of the state was also able to open a freestanding ED. Again, the more access health organizations can provide the better it is for all of our communities.”
The unveiling of this ED comes on the heels of Mercy’s expansion of its hospital-based ED in Rogers, the introduction of its Mobile Health Unit and the construction of the country’s first virtual care center, which will connect Mercy providers with patients around the world via secure audio, video and data connections.