With demand up, Elmhurst Hospital to expand emergency department

Elmhurst Hospital is expanding its emergency department in response to a rising number of patients in recent years.

The project will add eight emergency department rooms for a total of 39. The hospital announced this week that the department will expand into what is now a neighboring unit called the centralized admissions area.

The department was designed to handle 55,000 patients annually. But last year it treated 65,405 patients, a 28 percent increase over the tally in 2012, the first full year of operation after the hospital's new main campus opened at 55. E Brush Hill Road.

Adam Johnson, the service line director for the hospital's emergency medicine and urgent care services, said the patient influx has led to overcrowding and an increase in wait times.

"It became very apparent that we needed more space to handle the number of patients coming through the ED," Johnson said in a statement.

Construction will begin in August. The $600,000 project - financed by the Elmhurst Memorial Hospital Foundation - is expected to wrap up in the fall.

The foundation also is raising funds to address space needs in the critical care and inpatient units that are often at or near full capacity. Fundraising also continues for an expansion of the hospital's behavioral health services and preventive programs at the Diabetes Learning Center.

"We've experienced a tremendous increase in demand for services in many areas of the hospital and our projections show the growth will continue," Elmhurst Hospital President and CEO Pamela Dunley said in the statement. "We are looking to partner with members of our community to help address our space needs. Contributions to the Foundation are critical so we can continue providing the quality of care our residents deserve."