University of Michigan regents to consider $17.7 million emergency department expansion
The University of Michigan Health System is proposing a $17.7 million expansion of its emergency department to accommodate ballooning patient volumes coming in to the department.
A letter requesting approval for the project to the U-M Board of Regents said an expansion is needed to deal with increasing patient volumes, increased case complexity and high inpatient occupancy rates that have caused crowded conditions in the department.
The regents will consider the project at their meeting May 20.
The renovation would increase the emergency department from its current size of 35,153 square feet to a total of 41,015 square feet. It would include 26 treatment bays, six enclosed triage rooms and two family consultation rooms up from about 15 treatment bays, three enclosed triage rooms and one family consultation room.
The department would expand into adjacent areas nearby on level B1 of the university hospital. For example, the hospital dentistry program located near the emergency department would be relocated to a recently vacated 6,400-square-foot space on the second floor of the Medical Inn Building to accommodate the expansion.
The renovation would relocate and expand Psychiatry Emergency Service to an area adjacent to the department. There will be no physical expansion of the hospital itself and no parking area will be lost as a result of the renovations.
The project would be funded by the hospital and health center resources.
The project is expected to be completed by the winter of 2012. Local architectural firm Hobbs and Black Associates Inc. will design the project, according to the letter.
In March, the Michigan Department of Community Health received a letter of intent regarding the proposed expansion to the state's Certificate of Need committee for approval. The hospital must receive a certificate of need to begin the project.
Editors note: The current size of the emergency department has been changed from a previous version of the story due to incorrect information.
Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at tinareed@annarbor.com, call her at 734-623-2535 or find her on Twitter @TreedinAA.
Comments
julieswhimsies
Wed, May 19, 2010 : 5:49 p.m.
I donate my time to those in need when I can. I feel it is my responsibility to give back. A free clinic does not necessarily mean doctors and nurses would not be paid. There are grants and public funding currently available that could run such a clinic. If Physicians and Nurses chose to donate some time to a U of M free clinic, it would not be mandatory, but it would be wonderful. I put myself through College and Graduate School on my own time. It was a rough road. There IS poverty in Ann Arbor. Right now, these people end up in the E.R. I'm just saying...
CarolynM
Wed, May 19, 2010 : 9:24 a.m.
Urgent care would be a great idea--but a Free Clinic? Come on...Lose the sense of entitlement. These doctors/nurses/staff go to school for years and spend a huge amount of money and make so many sacrifices for others. They deserve SOME payback. They have bills to pay, too.
julieswhimsies
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 3:38 p.m.
The Emergency Room at the U of M is a nightmare. (I once spent 27 hours there. (without food and water) Expansion will help, but it seems the U of M's answer to improving any department is by building. Patient care should be the priority. What is needed are more Docs and Nurses. An urgent Care section is a great idea, and a free clinic should also be included.
michigan48103
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 10:09 a.m.
With the money they charge for a ER visit, they could build a new ER every few years or months. I was a patient in the ER because the family Doctor that I go to at the U of M did not have any open times, so the nurse that did call me back a few hours later said I should go to the U of M ER and I waited about one hour to be seen and was there for about 4 hours and got a bill in the mail for over $4,500.00. If, I was real sick, wow I would need a new loan to pay for a ER visit just because the family practice Doctor did not have a open time, so I could not be seen for the usual clinic visit charge. I can see now how so many of the ER administrators and staff can live at Barton Hills.
Patriot
Tue, May 18, 2010 : 9:29 a.m.
I'm all for having U of M staying ahead of the curve and being leading edge BUT I am getting the sense that the U of M ER is becoming a 24/7 doctors office for some people unwilling to wait to get to their family doctor or due to their insurance plans (less impact for a ER visit). I would like to see a screen put in to separate out the non ER cases and then funnel them to a local area clinic instead. That practice might just cut down on the overall load coming to U of M ER and train people to go to a local clinic for no ER needs.
5c0++ H4d13y
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 6:50 p.m.
@1bit They do that too. @Kafkaland There are at least two projects there. One to relocate dentistry. That's renovation of their future space and move them. Then renovation of ED to expand.
theodynus
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 5:15 p.m.
@kafkaland: Construction vs. total project costs, I suspect.
nemo
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 3:20 p.m.
Ditto, urgent care is needed. Just a few walk-in places around town for tetanus shots, suture removal, sore throats, etc. It can take weeks to see a UM doctor now, even for such simple things.
Kafkaland
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 2:56 p.m.
$800 / sq. ft. is high, by all standards, even for medical renovations. My understanding is that about half of that is more typical. Any reason why it's so high?
notsofast
Mon, May 17, 2010 : 1:44 p.m.
What they really need is get some after hour Urgent Care Clinics going. Then maybe the people with the common flu, cold, scrapped knees could be seen at Urgent Care in stead of ER and free up some time. Also add some more Dr's.