HCA breaks ground on provider-based emergency room in Las Vegas
ER at the Lakes is scheduled to open in the fall 2016; 24-hour facility will operate as a fully-integrated department of Southern Hills Hospital.
LAS VEGAS- HCA Far West Division, a network of hospitals and surgery centers in California and Nevada, on Tuesday broke ground on a new provider-based emergency facility called ER on the Lakes. The new ER is scheduled to open this fall, and will operate 24/7 as a fully-integrated department of Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas, the company said in a statement. Southern Hills Hospital is part of the Sunrise Health System, which is operated by HCA's Far West Division.
The new ER will be designed to deal with capacity issues at other traditional ERs in Southern Nevada, and will also provide convenient care to those in the immediate area. Las Vegas Valley ER visits and admissions have seen a spike, with 13 hospitals across the Valley reporting a 10.5 percent from 2012 to 2014, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Additionally, several local hospitals declared states of internal disaster early last year due to a high number of patients seeking ER care for flu-like symptoms. Capacity issues forced some hospitals to temporarily close to ambulances, HCA said.
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The approximately 10,000-square-foot facility will boast 12 patient rooms staffed by board-certified ER physicians and nurses, as well as on-call hospital specialists. HCA explained it will take both vehicle ambulance services and walk-in patients, offering emergent and urgent care, as well as a fully functional lab, blood bank, pharmacy, and radiology services, but is not designed to handle air transports or trauma care.
ER at the lakes will also offer pediatric services, with a separate entrance for young patients, HCA said.
[Also: Updated list of hospital construction and expansion projects in 2016]
"HCA identified a growing need for ER services in Southern Nevada, and provider-based emergency rooms can play a valuable role in alleviating the burden placed on traditional ERs," said Rob Dyer, senior vice president of strategy and development for HCA's Far West Division.
"In other HCA markets, these cutting-edge facilities have proven successful in providing community members with convenient, high-quality emergent care."
Dyer said they are looking into the possibility of opening additional provider-based ER's.
Twitter: @BethJSanborn
