An expanded emergency department at St. Catherine Hospital opened to patients today in East Chicago.
Local officials and Powers Health leadership participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the first phase.
“With more room and design efficiencies, this project will lead to a better experience for our patients and will offer a supportive workplace for our health care providers,” said Leo Correa, St. Catherine Hospital CEO, in a press release.
The multiphase project is expected to be finished in the fall. When complete, the expansion will provide nearly 2,000 additional square feet and will accommodate the growing need for emergency care.
The expansion includes a Fast Track waiting area, Fast Track nurses station and three private Fast Track rooms. Fast Track expedites care for people with less severe injuries or illnesses and reduces wait time.
When all phases are complete, the emergency department will have 17 patient exam rooms and five additional rooms. Those with emergency behavioral health needs will have an exclusive waiting area.
“Since we opened our doors nearly a century ago, St. Catherine Hospital has grown in physical size and in the range of services we offer,” Correa said. “With each brick we add, we continue to cement our reputation in East Chicago as a place where the most vulnerable are treated with dignity and respect.”
Each year, St. Catherine Hospital sees over 30,000 patients in its emergency department.
“We are woven into the fiber of this community and accessible to all who need us,” Correa said. “Powers Health continues to invest in St. Catherine Hospital as we carry out our mission to deliver high-quality, cost-effective efficient care.”
