Carson Tahoe Health’s Emergency Department: Reimagined

Carson Tahoe Health (CTH) is proud to announce the completion of a recent renovation to the emergency department triage area.  The newly designed space maximizes resources for quick care (testing and treatment) and serves as a monitored, internal waiting area. Newly carpeted and furnished, the triage area was completed and opened to patients just last week.

Over the past few years, Carson Tahoe Health’s Emergency Department has seen significant and continuous growth in their volume of patients. In 2016, the CTH team saw a little over 37,000 visits and that number has steadily increased each year.

“This year we anticipate over 43,000 visits and we want to be ready to provide efficient, high quality, patient-pleasing care to our community whenever they need it,” says Dustin Bass, Emergency Department Director at Carson Tahoe Health. “Process improvements, practice changes, remodeling of the triage space, and expansion are all ways we are working to address the growing needs of our community.”

Patients visiting the emergency department will register, as usual, and then selectively meet with an intake coordinator to be quickly seen by a physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner. The new set up allows for patients to be treated faster at all levels of care.

Not only are Carson Tahoe employees excited to see the completion of the triage remodel, but they are also looking forward to the second phase of the ED Expansion, set to break ground later this year. This next phase includes an addition of eight treatment rooms to the existing 18 in the emergency department.

“These renovation projects are just one way Carson Tahoe continues to adapt and innovate to provide better care for our community,” Bass said. “We are not simply replacing the carpet and furniture but instead, we are reimagining our processes and our space to alleviate some of the stress and chaos that can often be associated with emergency care.”