When Riverside Healthcare’s leadership decided to renovate its emergency room at Riverside Medical Center as part of its strategic plan, they knew the project would put the ER under even more stress as it stayed open during construction.
The hospital had two ERs running at one point, and temporarily relocated it to some space at the north end of their building on North Wall Street in Kankakee.
However, employees from all levels worked together until the 18-month project was completed in December in “a real team effort,” according to Phil Kambic, Riverside Healthcare president and CEO.
“For our 18 months or so of construction, it was not a very welcoming environment for our patients, and for that I apologize,” he said. “It was not a very good experience, but now it’s a wonderful experience, all things considered.”
The two-phased, $14 million project was the first major overhaul of the emergency department in more than 30 years, Kambic said, and it fully redesigned the space from the ground up.
For redeveloping its emergency room to increase safety, privacy and effectiveness, the Daily Journal is recognizing Riverside as the Innovator in Healthcare as part of the 2023 Progress Awards.
“The whole project really was to provide a better care delivery model, a better care atmosphere for the people of this community,” Kambic said, explaining that this level of emergency facility would normally be seen in an urban area such as Chicago.
“People in a suburban area, in a rural area like Kankakee County, they deserve that same quality of care and those same amenities. That’s why we did it.”
ADDED PRIVACY & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Included in the redesign of the approximately 21,000-square-foot space is a total of 35 patient care areas, with six rapid treatment areas, two adjacent trauma rooms and four behavioral health rooms to address mental health concerns.
All patient care areas are now private rooms with outer screens which communicate information regarding the patient’s care to emergency doctors and teams.
Privacy was also a priority in developing the behavioral health rooms, which are a new feature, noted Kambic.
“We had a lot of [behavioral health] patients, unfortunately, that would come and need to be with us for a long time, we would have them on the gurney in the middle of the hallway; that’s what a lot of hospitals are doing because they did have to have eyes on them all the time,” he said.
“This is just, it’s more private, much more dignified for those patients. Mental health has just been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic.”
The trauma rooms, which Kambic said use “the latest and greatest equipment” to address more trauma cases coming to the ER, are connected by a physician pass-through area that allows staff to move rooms without entering the main hallway.
Riverside also focused on improving treatment of survivors of sexual assault by adding a special treatment room including a private bathroom and shower.
INCREASED EFFICIENCY
One distinct change to Riverside’s emergency department is the separate entrances for walk-in patients and patients arriving by ambulance, which were designed to prevent bottlenecks and lower safety risks as people rush in.
To improve patient flow and enhance safety, the ER updated its command central to display which rooms incoming patients from ambulances should go to and to monitor patient safety through video.
“We actually have a new entrance for patients to come into and our security office is right there as patients come in, so they’re much more available to try to see some of those things,” Kambic said.
The increase of six rapid treatment spaces from two helps get patients who need minor procedures faster treatment.
The hospital also upgraded technology in the department, including adding negative pressure capabilities in the air handling system, which can prevent the spread of airborne illnesses like coronavirus.
END RESULTS
Since the new emergency room doors have been open for a few months now, Riverside has seen the time and effort pay off at the patient level.
“Our patient satisfaction is right around that 90th percentile of all hospitals in the country, so we’re very happy with that,” Kambic said.
“There’s a measure that we look at that’s called ‘left without being seen,’” he continued. “That has increased for hospitals across the country. Since our ER opened, it’s less than 1%, which is just phenomenal.“
Wait times and holds, or when a patient has started to get treatment but is put on hold until they can move to the next step, are down in the ER as well.
Employees are also taking to the change.
Kambic shared his thanks for all involved in the process, from the contractors who worked on the construction and renovations, to department leadership managing the project, including Christine Langeillier, director of emergency services, and Kathy O’Grady, vice president and chief nursing officer, along with all of the staff who navigated the changes.
“I give our ER staff just a tremendous amount of credit, they worked through the ER through less than ideal conditions, and as the new ER has opened, some of our doctors who have worked at other hospitals have told us this is the nicest ER they’ve ever worked in,” Kambic said. “The nurses are much happier, the techs are much happier, it’s just been a much more conducive work environment for them.”
