Baystate Wing Hospital Hosts Topping-off Ceremony for New ED

PALMER — Baystate Wing Hospital celebrated a milestone in the construction of its new Emergency Department with the ceremonial topping-off of the 17,800-square-foot steel structure. Construction workers, employees, physicians, community members, and donors gathered to sign the steel beam before it was hoisted atop the new hospital building.

“Our Emergency Department is frequently the front door of the hospital for many patients,” said Dr. Robert Spence, chief of Emergency Medicine for Baystate Health’s Eastern Region. “This new space will enhance the great care we already provide and allow us to better respond to our current demands for emergency-care services. While the new facility is being built, the existing emergency room will remain open.”

The new Emergency Department, which is expected to open in the fall of 2018, will feature separate ambulance and public entryways and include 20 patient rooms, including trauma and other dedicated specialty-care areas; private rooms to enhance patient privacy; and a dedicated space for behavioral-health patients. Additionally, patients will have access to the most sophisticated medical technology, including CT scan and radiology (X-ray) services. Once the new building is completed, the current Emergency Department space, which was built in 1995, will be retrofitted for other uses.

A $2.8 million Baystate Wing Emergency Department capital campaign is underway. To encourage community participation, Ed and Ellen Noonan, campaign co-chairs, are matching all new gifts up to an overall total of $100,000. Gifts of all sizes will make an important difference. The overall cost of the new emergency department at Baystate Wing Hospital is $17.2 million, with Baystate Health committing funding to the project with capital investments and bonds in addition to the support of community members and area businesses.

“It is incredibly exciting to see this project progress as we build the foundation of emergency care for generations to come,” said Michael Moran, president and chief administrative officer for Baystate Health’s Eastern Region. “Along with the emergency care provided at Baystate Mary Lane, this new Emergency Department will ensure that patients continue to receive care close to home in an innovative and highly efficient space that reflects the expertise and commitment of our emergency department teams.”

To learn more about the capital campaign or to make a gift, call Teresa Grove at (413) 370-5798.