NEENAH—ThedaCare officially broke ground on its Emergency Department project of the $100 million expansion and redesign of ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah. This is the first major phase of the project, which will expand and redesign the department as well as double current care space.
After completion, the ED will have 20 exams rooms, including specialized rooms for trauma and behavioral health, with new technology and equipment. The design also includes an increased number of negative pressure rooms, also called isolation rooms, which provide a safe space to care for those with an infectious illness.
The ED will remain open throughout the construction process. During this phase of construction, the ThedaStar Air Medical Program Helipad will be relocated to be adjacent to the Emergency Department entrance.
“Our patients and families were our priority when we planned our intentional construction phases, allowing them to continue accessing critical services with ease,” said Dr. Imran A. Andrabi, ThedaCare president and CEO, in a statement.
ThedaCare leaders announced the major investment to modernize its Neenah campus in October. The healthcare system’s Inspired Past; Healthier Future project aims to enhance and expand services for patients throughout the region and help keep healthcare local.
Andrabi said the enhancements in the Emergency Department “will enhance coordinated care throughout our service area, including our critical access hospitals, giving patients greater access to innovative and specialized care.”
The Neenah campus currently provides critical care services, such as the region’s only Level II Trauma Center, certified Comprehensive Stroke Center and Emergency Department.
The design of the enhancements is aimed to reduce cost, improve capacity, create sustained operational efficiency with more efficient work areas for health care teams. The design was created in partnership with physicians, clinicians and staff.
Additional highlights of the modernization include:
- Enhancing specialized space to care for stroke patients as the region’s only Comprehensive Stroke Center.
- Updating operating rooms to include advanced robotic surgical equipment.
- Updating the Family Birth Center to a modern, comfortable and soothing environment.
- Creating a new environment for the Women’s Center, which includes mammography, diagnostics and imaging, and bone density testing.
- Improving and expanding access for Behavioral Health services by redesigning the inpatient space.
- Designing a new dining area on the main floor for visitors and team members.
- Creating “Main Street”, where key diagnostic outpatient services will be located on the first floor of the hospital to ensure easier patient access.
Inside the hospital, some offices and departments have been relocated to begin work on the creation of the Main Street portion, planned for the next phase of construction scheduled to begin in fall 2022.
The full modernization is expected to be complete in fall 2023.
