Baystate Wing Hospital Celebrates New Emergency Department

PALMER — On Friday, Sept. 14, Baystate Wing Hospital held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new $17.2 million Emergency Department. Those in attendance included Baystate Health and Baystate Wing Hospital leaders, hospital board members, area legislators, community leaders, donors, employees, and volunteers.

The hospital’s new Emergency Department is scheduled to open Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 5 a.m. 

“A visit to an emergency department often comes unexpectedly to patients and their families,” said Dr. Robert Spence, chief of Emergency Medicine, who oversees emergency care at Baystate Mary Lane and Baystate Wing Hospital. “The new design and layout will allow us to triage patients more effectively, and, combined with the skill and experience of our team, our patients will receive high-quality acute care in a much more efficient and comfortable space.”

The new facility includes separate ambulance and public entryways and features 20 patient rooms, including critical care, behavioral health, and other dedicated specialty-care areas. Private rooms have replaced curtained bays to enhance patient privacy, along with dedicated space for behavioral-health patients. The new 17,800-square-foot facility will include sophisticated medical technology, including CT scan and radiology (X-ray) services.

“This new Emergency Department was thoughtfully and carefully designed with input from our nurses and physicians, our fellow department leaders, patients, and EMS providers from throughout the region,” said Kimberly Davis, nurse manager of Emergency Services for Baystate Mary Lane and Baystate Wing Hospital, noting that the design of an emergency department’s physical environment is critical to patient and staff safety, as well as satisfaction. 

The Baystate Wing Emergency Department campaign has raised over $2.9 million to date. The overall cost of building and equipping the new emergency department at Baystate Wing Hospital is $17.2 million, with Baystate Health committing funding through capital investment and bonds. 

“The Baystate Wing Emergency Department is now right-sized to deliver high-quality emergency care representative of Baystate Health’s commitment to ensure that people living and working in the region have access to outstanding health care close to home,” said Michael Moran, president and chief administrative officer for Baystate Health’s Eastern Region, which includes Baystate Wing Hospital and Baystate Mary Lane. “This new facility allows our expert care team to provide the highest-quality care and experience to the communities that we serve.”