It is no secret that additional staff are needed at area hospitals, not only at Ballad Health, but across the nation. It is also no secret that over the last several years, more space is needed in emergency rooms across America as they become more and more overcrowded. As America’s population continues to increase in age, it is putting more and more of a strain on emergency rooms, creating heavy wait times that can sometimes last for hours.
Ballad Health decided just weeks ago to address that and announced it would pump $60 million into expanding Johnson City Medical Center’s emergency room. Alan Levine, Ballad Health chairman and CEO, said in a press release that there is no question the hospital has started to burst at the seams. “I think anyone who has used the emergency department at Johnson City Medical Center would agree the hospital has outgrown the space,” Levine said.
“We believe this investment will help provide more privacy, more treatment rooms and a better patient experience, all of which are very important to the families who rely on emergency and trauma care at Johnson City Medical Center.” The project was first introduced earlier this year, according to the news release from Ballad. When completed, the expansion is expected to increase the adult emergency department to 50,000 square feet.
The space currently sits at 37,000 square feet. Additionally, adult patient rooms will increase from 36 rooms to 55 rooms. Two new trauma rooms and larger, more modern waiting areas will be added as well.
The new emergency department is expected to be completed by 2027. There is no doubt that this is a good thing for Johnson City. It is a good thing for the entire Northeast Tennessee area as hospitals continue to face overcrowding.
Care has no limits, and people will look for the most adequate care possible. But as the hospital expands, it is also important to look at expansion of staff. Ballad will need to use every resource possible to recruit doctors and nurses to beautiful Northeast Tennessee.
This include their partnerships with East Tennessee State University and other area colleges to make sure we encourage these future doctors and nurses to continue their life here in Northeast Tennessee, the place they have called home during their college years. It’s an excellent step to have a larger, expanded emergency room. It’s a much-needed step that we applaud.
Recruitment and retention of staff is what will really make this needed expansion a real success. But let’s be careful that a larger waiting room doesn’t mean larger waiting times..
