Yesterday, TMH broke ground for the new freestanding emergency center at the crossroads of I-10 and Thomasville Road with a dramatic kabuki drop. Projected to open in May 2013, Tallahassee Memorial Emergency Center - Northeast is designed to handle most emergency situations, with special consideration for pediatric and geriatric patients.
“At TMH, we are excited about the expansion of our emergency services to include an off-campus, freestanding facility that focuses on delivering high quality, emergency services with a team of board certified emergency physicians,” said Mark O’Bryant, President & CEO, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.
“Tallahassee Memorial Emergency Center - Northeast has special features to help our youngest and oldest patients as well as state-of-the-art concierge emergency medicine for all members of our Big Bend community,” said Dr. Albert Lee, MD, Chair, Tallahassee Memorial Medical Executive Committee.
For pediatric and geriatric patients, this facility offers a less stressful environment to seek emergency medical care. Tallahassee Memorial Emergency Center - Northeast features a separate entrance and interactive waiting area for children and their families. While dimmed lighting, low-glare flooring, and stretchers with thicker mattresses were selected to make geriatric patients more comfortable.
Kim Williams, Chair of the TMH Board of Directors and former Chair of the Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County, sees a boost to the local economy, “The new emergency center will create more than 150 jobs, including nursing, respiratory therapy, and security positions. TMH will also support the local economy with construction costs, including labor and materials, to complete this 45,000-square foot facility.”
This facility is also being designed, constructed, and operated according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards to reduce the center’s impact on the environment. TMH selected Clemons, Rutherford & Associates, Inc., a local Tallahassee firm that specializes in healthcare facilities, and FreemanWhite, Inc., the nation’s leading emergency department design consulting firm, in a joint partnership to design the area’s first freestanding emergency center.
