Mainland Medical Center Opens Expanded Emergency Department

TEXAS CITY, TEXAS – Mainland Medical Center, a HCA-affiliated hospital in Texas City has completed the anticipated $5 million expansion of its emergency department. The change is designed to increase the hospital’s capacity to meet growing demand for emergency services and marks the department’s most significant upgrade since the facility opened in 1952.

“Galveston County is growing,” said Mainland Medical Center’s chief executive officer Tripp Montalbo. “This renovation and expansion project is driven by the community’s increased demand for our emergency services. By expanding our emergency room, we’ll be able to streamline care and treat patients even more timely and efficiently.”

With 6,200 additional square feet and 13 new private patient rooms, the emergency department's footprint has expanded by more than half.

With the expansion comes changes to the emergency department layout itself, expected to improve staff’s efficiency and to reduce length of stay. For example, the waiting room will feature a self-help kiosk and non-acute patients who have been seen may now comfortably await discharge in a “results pending” room, separate from more emergent patients.

“Our emergency department is our front door, and we’re committed to making investments which will allow us to continue to provide comprehensive, quality care, close to our patients’ homes,” said Montalbo.

The new section of the emergency depart,ment will begin operations on Nov. 12. Soon after, aesthetic upgrades, including new flooring and paint, are expected to roll out for the original section to match the new space.

The latest investments follow $1.2 million of extensive renovations to the fourth floor medical surgical unit, including new equipment and updated operating room and cath lab waiting rooms, earlier this year.

“These ED upgrades were a long time coming, and I’m so glad we took the time to listen to patients and staff to make meaningful improvements,” said MarKaye Bennett, emergency department director at Mainland Medical Center. “Even seemingly small details like where to position the monitor in a patient room were carefully considered to improve patient safety and experience.”

The hospital has made one promotion as a result of the ED changes, and new hires are expected as census grows.

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Image: Mainland Medical Center: Mainland Medical Center staff line the hall of the hospital’s new ED during its open house.

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