Kaiser Permanente Dedicates Contra Costa County's Largest State-of-the-Art Emergency Department; Design Incorporates Lessons from 9/11 Disaster.

News Editors/Health/Medical Writers

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 11, 2003

Kaiser Permanente's Walnut Creek Medical Center will open a new Emergency Department (ED) on November 17, the largest in Contra Costa County. The new state-of-the-art facility will be the only one in the region equipped to handle mass decontamination from a major chemical disaster or other public health emergency.

The new 32,000-square foot department with 52 private treatment rooms features the following equipment and technology including:

-- 52 patient rooms offering greater privacy and comfort than the

traditional curtain-separated treatment rooms in most

emergency facilities.

-- Cardiac monitoring on all 52 beds.

-- Replacement of traditional X-rays with Digital Radiography 

(DR) technology. Digital images can be viewed from any Kaiser

Permanente facility in northern California.

-- On-site lab drawing station and digital imaging -- resulting

in less travel for the patient to other departments.

-- Eight permanent decontamination showers. It is the only ED in

the area designed to handle mass decontamination from chemical

spill.

-- Three "negative pressure" isolation rooms to prevent the

spread of contagious disease.

-- Private triage rooms for patients and family members.

-- 140 computer monitors throughout the ED, facilitating the

physician or nurse in receiving medical information, such as

lab tests.

-- Bedside computer in each treatment room.

-- 32,000-square feet -- 19,000 more than the old facility and

the largest in the county.

Each of the 52 patient rooms in the new facility provides continuous monitoring of cardiac and vital signs. The 140 computers in the ED enable physicians to provide:

-- Quick consultation with specialists throughout the Northern

California region.

-- Bedside access to patient's medical records.

"Our new emergency department combines state-of-the-art technology with personalized, evidence-based care. It reflects our commitment to serve the growing East Bay community and to provide the best medical care," said Sandi Small, RN, service area manager.

The new facility was designed with input from patients, physicians, nurses and staff. The goal was to develop a new concept in emergency care. The private triage and treatment rooms will give patients the comfort and privacy they need.

Construction methods also reflected Kaiser Permanente's goal to conserve natural resources. More than 300 tons of material were reused or recycled and diverted from landfills during the demolition of the offices that occupied the space now housing the new ED.

Kaiser Permanente's Walnut Creek Medical Center celebrates its 50th anniversary in the community this year. The facility was almost entirely rebuilt during the 1990s to meet the latest structural codes and all seismic requirements - including those that take effect in 2030. The medical center has 229 beds, nearly 3,000 staff and 300 physicians to serve the Diablo Service Area. Over the next 6 years, Kaiser Permanente will invest nearly $1 billion in new, upgraded buildings in the area.

In addition to the new Walnut Creek ED, Kaiser Permanente opened a new 60,000-square foot medical office building in Antioch in September 2003. The new Antioch facility is part of a planned expansion in East Contra Costa County and will include a new hospital. In December a new 70,000-square foot medical office building will open in Livermore.

Kaiser Permanente is a non-profit, prepaid, group practice health maintenance organization (HMO), founded in 1945. The Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region has almost 3.2 million members. It includes 4,694 physicians in The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) and approximately 54,300 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals and TPMG employees. The Region is organized into six service areas served by 17 major medical centers.

http://www.kaiserpermanente.org

EDITOR'S NOTE: tours of the new Walnut Creek ED or any Kaiser Permanente facility can be scheduled by calling or emailing Randy Wittorp or Lea Rubio. Their respective email addresses are [e-mail] or [e-mail].