PeaceHealth launches Emergency Department expansion project

VANCOUVER, Wash. – PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center has launched a two-year construction project that will result in an Emergency Department double the size of the current space.

“Our community is continuing to grow and the need for emergency care has continued to expand,” says Sean Gregory, PeaceHealth Columbia Network Chief Executive. “We look forward to an upgraded and expanded space to better meet the needs of the individuals and families we serve each day.”

The reimagined Emergency Department will include:

• A model to improve patient flow, reduce wait times and increase patient satisfaction
• An updated entry with adjacent parking for improved patient and family experience
• A doubling of the square footage of the existing Emergency Department resulting in more rooms, modern amenities, and a more private healing environment
• Increased capacity and safe traffic flow for cars and ambulances

“I am proud to support this project and invest in this major and innovative step forward for future health care in our community,” says Ron Prill, Chair of the PeaceHealth Southwest Foundation.

The second floor of the expansion will include a 24-bed observation unit. This increase in space allows for the care of patients immediately upon arrival, eliminating hallway treatments and reducing waiting room stays.

Also located on the second floor will be space for community partners to provide integrated housing stabilization, addiction resources, food security, and other social services for patients who come to the ED.

“Our vision for emergency services is focused on holistic health – an approach that not only attends to our patients’ immediate medical needs but also immediately connects them with community providers to address their long-term health and needs after they leave the hospital,” adds Gregory.

The current entrance to the Emergency Department will be temporarily relocated in the coming weeks to the 5th Street entrance to allow for construction. The project is expected to be complete in summer 2024.

About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. It has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 900 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.