Ascension St. Mary’s Prepares to Open New Emergency Care Center
Ascension St. Mary’s Hospital plans to open their new Emergency Care Center addition at its downtown location, 800 S. Washington Avenue in Saginaw, in early January 2021. The newly constructed addition provides patients with an airport style drop-off/pick up and continuous drop-off canopy for inclement weather. Access for ambulances is also greatly improved with the now completed second phase of the project.
The $17.6 million expansion project began in October 2019 with six phases of work. Phase two, which was just completed, included the construction of a 12,600-square feet addition, renovating existing space, infrastructure improvements for electrical, heating, ventilation and information technology systems, and improving access for ambulances and the public. The enhancements will transform the facility into a state-of-the-art emergency and level II trauma care center with 24 exam/treatment rooms and two trauma rooms. As Michigan’s northernmost Comprehensive Stroke Center, the new Emergency Care Center will further strengthen the hospital’s ability to provide high quality stroke care.
“We are very excited and looking forward to opening the new addition and ambulance bays,” said Stephanie Duggan, MD, Regional President, Ascension St. Mary’s. “We had been in the planning process for over a year before our groundbreaking in October 2019. As part of the planning work, we identified that a new emergency entry for ambulances and the public was a top priority. Significant excavation and construction to reduce the gradient to the Emergency Department has taken place to create a safer entryway for ambulances and our community,” explained Duggan.
In addition to the new ambulance point of entry and multiple parking bays, a covered entrance will improve access for walk-in patients. Individuals coming to the new Ascension St. Mary’s Emergency Care Center will also find a new registration and triage area which will improve patient flow and increase capacity and efficiency. The waiting area will be larger, more spacious and feature modern day furnishings to improve the patient and visitor experience.
The next phases of renovation will involve the existing emergency department space to create new, larger exam rooms and trauma suites. The work will continue to be staged so there is no disruption of services. Emergency and trauma care will continue to be provided through the existing emergency care in downtown Saginaw and at Ascension St. Mary’s freestanding emergency care center located in Saginaw Township, at 4599 Towne Centre Blvd., at the corner of Towne Centre and Schust. Both locations are open 24/7.
