Invitation to an OPEN HOUSE to Preview the new Phelps EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Community Is Invited for Preview Tours of the New, State-of-the-Art Facility
On Tuesday, November 4

Have you ever wanted to go "backstage" in an emergency room? Now is your chance to do just that. Before ambulances start bringing injured or ill people to the new Emergency Department at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, the public is invited to tour the spacious, state-of-the-art facility, talk to the staff and understand how the whole thing is organized for the best in patient care.

During an Open House on Tuesday, November 4 (Election Day) from 4 to 8 p.m., preview tours will be given by hospital staff stationed throughout the Emergency Department. All of the new and greatly enhanced features of the 18,000-square-foot facility will be explained and the questions you have always wanted to ask will be answered. Light refreshments will be served.

Leading the tours will be Dr. Emil Nigro, Director of Emergency Services at Phelps since 1984. "All us of look forward to welcoming residents of the community here for a preview tour," says Dr. Nigro. "When you consider that more than 65% of all our admissions come through the ER, it really is the heart of the hospital. We want the community to understand and appreciate the tremendous asset they now have in this new facility."

Also leading tours will be Pat Beall, Nursing Director of the Emergency Department. She says the members of the ER staff are very excited about making the transition to the new space and are eager to share information about all of its features with the public. "There are 32 treatment rooms with a dedicated area for children, including a playroom," says Beall. "Patients won't be delayed in a waiting area anymore. They'll be welcomed into the department by the ED team, who will take them to a private room and guide them through the treatment process. Working as a team is key to our success."

The new patient-centered emergency department at Phelps, which is three times the size of the former ER with twice as many patient beds, places an emphasis on patients' physical and emotional comfort. As patients enter the department, they are greeted by the soothing sounds of a waterfall in the entry corridor. The patient rooms have sliding glass doors and curtains for privacy, and each room has a television, a telephone and two chairs so that family members can remain comfortably nearby.

Over the past year, Phelps has increased the depth of pediatric services it offers to the community. As evidence of that commitment, the new emergency department has a separate pediatric treatment area with five child-friendly rooms specially decorated for pediatric patients, and an adjacent playroom with computer games.
Ten of the treatment rooms in the emergency department are designated for the PromptCare area, a modern fast-track service providing rapid assessment and treatment of less urgent medical problems. The new emergency department also has designated treatment rooms for specialized services, including critical care; gynecology; psychiatry; orthopedics; dentistry; minor surgery; and ear, nose and throat.

"The specialty rooms are equipped for specific problems, and enable us to match the patients' complaints to the equipment they need, which means faster, more efficient service," says Dr. Nigro. "I think people who come for the tours are going to be amazed by the size and the capabilities of the new ED."

Another example of enhanced patient service and comfort is that patients who require diagnostic imaging no longer need to be transported to an inpatient radiology suite. The new department has its own 24-hour radiology suite, complete with digital x-ray technology and a 64-slice CT scanner with cardiac capabilities, so that the wait for diagnostic tests and results is significantly shorter. Finally, patients waiting to be admitted to the hospital will remain in private rooms in a separate, quiet area within the emergency department until a hospital bed is available.

For a virtual tour of the new emergency department at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, go to www.phelpshospital.org and click on the image at the top of the page. For an actual tour, come to the Open House on November 4. The new facility will officially open its doors in November. More information is available at 914-366-3109.

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