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METHODIST RICHARDSON MEDICAL CENTER
Growing Again to Better Serve You and Your Family
It’s not somewhere you plan to go. But when emergencies happen, you want to go somewhere close to home that you trust to return you and your loved ones to good health. That is why Methodist Richardson Medical Center is expanding its Emergency Department to better serve you.
Local officials gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony Aug. 24 for the $45 million expansion. The project will add two new floors, totaling about 80,000 square feet, which will accommodate the hospital’s pharmacy and laboratory. Another 25,000 square feet will be remodeled to expand the existing Emergency Department. That space will include additional trauma treatment areas and 18 new ER beds.
“Over 50% of our admissions come through our Emergency Department, so it’s essentially the front door of our hospital,” says Methodist Richardson President Ken Hutchenrider, FACHE. “We are growing to allow our ED to more effectively serve our growing region.”
Methodist Richardson is unique because it serves such a large population. More than 1.1 million people live within the hospital’s service area. That makes Methodist Richardson a medical hub for northeastern Dallas County, Collin County, and parts of Rockwall County.
Emergency departments across the nation are experiencing an overall increase in patient volume, and the ED at Methodist Richardson is certainly a part of that trend, averaging 55,000 visits per year. This year, the emergency room at the campus located at the intersection of President George Bush Turnpike and Renner Road has seen more than 150 patients daily. That’s a 12% increase over the previous year.
State of the ER
The Texas EMS Trauma & Acute Care Foundation (TETAF) recently designated Methodist Richardson as a Level III Trauma Center. What does that mean to you? It means the hospital has 24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians and the prompt availability of general surgeons, specialists, and anesthesiologists. If you fall off a ladder while cleaning the leaves out of your home’s gutters, for example, you can rest assured paramedics will take you to a facility like Methodist Richardson where they know staff will be available and ready at any time – day or night – 365 days a year.
“Trauma is a leading cause of death in people ages 1-44,” says Methodist Richardson Trauma Director Stuart Johnston, MD, FACS. “Access to high-quality trauma care in our area can mean the difference between life and death.”
Requirements of Level III Trauma Centers include:
• 24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians and the prompt availability of general surgeons and anesthesiologists
• A comprehensive quality assessment program
• Transfer agreements for patients requiring more comprehensive care at a Level I or Level II Trauma Center
• Back-up care for rural and community hospitals • Continued education of the nursing and allied health staff and the trauma team
• Involvement with prevention efforts and active outreach program for its referring communities
As part of its Level III status, Methodist Richardson provides educational opportunities in trauma care for the community including STOP THE BLEED® training. Earlier this year, Methodist ER trauma nurses helped instruct athletic student trainers at Wylie High School and Wylie East High School on how to handle injuries that involve severe bleeding. This hands-on training teaches rapid responses that could potentially save lives.
“Methodist Richardson will eventually be a Level II Trauma Center,” Hutchenrider says. “That means the hospital would have the ability to care for nearly all emergency or trauma-type injuries.”
The hospital is also striving to earn its certification to become a comprehensive stroke center. Certified comprehensive stroke centers meet standards to treat the most complex stroke cases. It’s the highest level of stroke care, which includes:
• Comprehensive stroke performance measures
• 24/7 neuro-intensive care unit
• 24/7 operating room
• Endovascular and imaging services
• Advanced imaging capabilities
• Available personnel trained in vascular, neurological, neurosurgical, and endovascular procedures
Planning for Growth
This most recent project is the third major expansion for the hospital since it opened eight years ago with 120 beds. In 2018, Methodist Richardson underwent an $85 million expansion project that included the 104,000-square-foot addition of floors 5 and 6, with 150 new, all-private acute care suites. The project also added the hospital’s ninth operating room and a sevenstory parking garage. The new facilities opened in late December 2019, just months ahead of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
“That timing was fortunate, but growth is no accident,” Hutchenrider says. “It’s about preparing for the future with a strategic master plan that reacts to the evolving needs of our communities.”
Methodist Richardson offers personalized healthcare services for every stage of life and every state of health, from a level III neonatal intensive care unit to highly specialized cancer treatment and everything in between. It’s about advanced care that’s close to home. Care that you trust.
To find your physician, call 214-646-3857 or go online to MethodistHealthSystem.org. •
Texas law prohibits hospitals from practicing medicine. The physicians on the Methodist Health System medical staff are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Methodist Health System.