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What are team member most excited about with the opening of the ED expansion? Here’s what they are saying …

“I love the amount of new space we have to take care of patients. I love the individual rooms for patients and having an enhanced ability to maintain privacy; to deliver care and support families in a more private setting. Part of the healing process is when people look around and see what the space looks like — it gives them a positive frame of mind. From the staff prospective, I’m excited about having a space we can be proud of to deliver the kind of care that we’re capable of giving. I’m looking forward to seeing the patient and staff reaction, too.”
— Robert O’Connor, MD, Professor and Chair of Emergency Medicine

“Change is always exciting, and I’m very excited to see the new ED expansion. Our team has seen the progress from the beginning, so anticipation for the doors to open is high! The updated space will allow the best possible care for our patients, and we can’t wait.”
— Logan Dudley, Paramedic for Medic V

“Just walking into this brand-new, beautiful space that we’ve been filling with equipment. As I walk through, I remember planning this item here, positioning that item there, or coordinating the placement of another thing over here. That is really cool to see it in person. Also, we’ve been in a great position with our purchasing power to make sure our equipment is top-of-the-line and that it has a high degree of uptime and reliability. That is incredibly satisfying for me, knowing that we are providing the best equipment for our care team and for our patients.”
— Patrick Headley, Manager, Clinical Engineering Professional Services

“All private rooms! We are excited to provide our patients with more privacy and have more space for patient care. Currently, we frequently function in the hallways, which is difficult for everyone. Also, windows — sunlight makes everyone happier!”
— Sarah Mueller, RN, BSN, CCRN, Clinician 3, Emergency Department

“I’m excited because this will be my third ED. I started in the ED on the west side, am in the current one, and now the new ED Expansion. I’m excited about the larger work space for employees, as well as the individual treatment rooms. Almost every time I hear a patient say something about our current ED, I then start talking to them about the new ED and how nice and big it is. I’m trying to get them excited as well.”
— Lanita Kimble, Supervisor, Emergency Department Registration

“The most significant thing I’m looking forward to is giving our patients the privacy they deserve while they receive care throughout one of their scariest and most vulnerable times. Too often, our current ED is overwhelmed with the sheer number of patients presenting for care, forcing us to see them in hallway beds or even out in triage. With the expansion, I look forward to eliminating the need for hallway beds. Additionally, the space in our current ED is regularly saturated with the various services that are consulted. The space we currently have gets really crowded really quick. We have some of the smartest and most capable doctors here at UVA, so I look forward to seeing them perform with all of the resources and space they need to do what they do best.”
— Faraz Farzad, Head Medical Scribe

“We are very excited for the new Emergency Department! In particular, more space so we can better accommodate our patients and for the new squad bay! It is absolutely beautiful and there are even a few windows, so we can see outside.”
— Shannon Moats, Supervisor, Revenue Cycle Operations, Patient Access/HUC, Emergency Department

“I’ve seen lots of EDs. I’ve worked in lots of EDs. I’ve never seen anything like this. I am so excited with how all of the department’s features have come together into a single ED. Other hospitals have adopted individual pieces, but few institutions — if any — have pulled so many pieces together into a single ED. It really is amazing.”
— Chris Ghaemmaghami, MD, Chief Medical Officer

“What I’m looking forward to the most is that first day: seeing how happy the clinicians look, seeing a patient walk in those front doors, and knowing that the work I’ve done over the last two years has made a difference. Seeing those patients come in the doors is why I’m doing this.”
— Kristina Neal, Clinical Engineer

“There are several things I am looking forward to. First, the patient experience will be dramatically improved as every stretcher has a private room. This will afford increased privacy for patients. Second, I look forward to improved team communications through the use of new communication platforms that integrate nurse call and the electronic medical record. Finally, I look forward to having a facility that will match the advancing innovative throughput strategies that matches the world-class emergency care the team provides.”
— Sharon Hardigree, RN, Nursing Director, Emergency Department

“This expansion creates the opportunity for us to better serve our increasing patient population. The Emergency Department has needed more space for quite some time, but to have one that is 3 times larger than the current space is just amazing. We are excited for the updated EMS charting room, as well as the new Ambulance parking area. The process has been long, but will be well worth the wait!”
— Michael Cox, Advanced EMT, Medic V

“I’m greatly looking forward to providing our patients with a more comfortable and private physical space while they are receiving care in our emergency department. Our care team has always delivered excellent clinical care for patients who have emergent medical needs, and I can’t wait for our patients and their families to experience that same level of excellence with regards to the ED treatment spaces when we move into our new facility. Additionally, I’m greatly looking forward to transitioning into our new space, as it was designed to help us optimize our use of each treatment room to improve patient wait times and increase our overall ED capacity.”
— Deborah Vinton, MD, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine; Medical Director, Emergency Department

“What’s most satisfying is that we put the clinicians first: We view our job as supporting the patient and caregivers and it’s really rewarding to have worked collaboratively to realize this vision. Additionally, three years ago we developed a process for communicating the medical equipment plan for this building to our executive leadership team. And we haven’t varied from it. It has developed trust, consistency, and accountability. This guided the way we work — and it has been incredibly beneficial to the success of the project.”
— Mike Friesen, Director of Clinical Engineering

“I am excited to get to work in a new space that is more optimal for patient care. I am also excited to get into a new space that will be bigger than what we currently have.”
— Kayla Lowe, EMT-B

The new Emergency Department sees its first patient on Oct. 15. What are YOU most excited about? (Leave a comment below.)