RANDALLSTOWN, Md. — New renovations at one hospital with the goal of keeping up with the surging demand.
On Wednesday Northwest Hospital in Randallstown broke ground on a $6 million project to modernize their emergency department.
The renovations expands the ER to have three separate pathways for patients based on treatment needs.
It's expected to open by next summer.
The chief of emergency medicine says the added space is sorely needed.
They're seeing more patients come through. Not all at once, but in larger seasonal surges.
She says before COVID, those surges, like flu season, were easier to anticipate and prepare for.
Now, there's significantly less down time.
"So, even now, in the middle of the summer, historically, we would have lower volumes and not as many people in the hospital, not as many people in the ER. However, that's not true at all. Our volumes are still increasing ever since COVID, month on month, without any care for the season anymore," said Dr. Revathi Jyothindran.
Dr. Jyothindran adds the surges aren't because of rising flu or COVID numbers.
Rather, it's more patients sick from other things.
She believes the increase is a repercussion of the pandemic, when people didn't have as much access to healthcare.
