ED designed to optimize patient flow

The new 67,000-square-foot emergency department (ED) at Cleveland Clinic Akron General is more than three times the size of the original facility, and with 60 patient care spaces the hospital made it a priority to ensure the space could get up with patient demand. 

The design's universal patient room layout helps to optimize flow by maximizing operational performance, which in turn helps to minimize wait times. By providing uniform patient care spaces, caregivers are able to become highly familiar with equipment and supply placement, creating efficiencies during exams and procedures. 

Other key features of the new ED include four trauma/resuscitation rooms for Level 1 Trauma Care, a five-room behavioral health area with central observation station, a secure decontamination area, a dedicated sexual assault treatment and examination room, and an infectious disease isolation area. 

The second floor of the addition provides administrative and support space for ED staff, as well as a 19-bed rapid observation unit. A new helipad is located on top of the new building and a pedestrian bridge connects the ED to the main hospital. 

The new ED was designed by Hasenstab Architects, an architectural firm based in Northeast Ohio.