In just weeks, patient exam rooms have been built, walls painted, and wiring installed as builders put the final touches on Phase I of Cape Coral Hospital’s expanded emergency room.

“A new waiting room, a new registration area, a new triage area, and then that flows into what eventually will be our permanent fast track area,” says Dr. Timothy Dougherty, Medical Director of Cape Coral Hospital’s Emergency Department.

Upon arrival, patients will be ushered through a new registration system, designed to quicker cater to their specific medical needs. “We’re going to have three areas where you get registered, right off the bat, and well have three triage areas so we can process you as quick as possible,” explains Dr. Dougherty.

To make the emergency room visit more efficient, certain rooms are specially designed for certain patients. Pediatric-only rooms, OB-GYN related rooms, even a room designated for casting broken bones.

“We’re going to be able to see not only all the fast track patients that we normally see, but we’re going to utilize that space to see as many other patients as we can and get them treated and home as quickly as possible,” he adds.

State of the art triages are in place as well as a waiting area for families. Builders have already begun working on Phase II of the project in hopes of having that completed next year.