March 5-The new Paul F. Reinhart Emergency Trauma Center is now open for business. "We are thrilled to open this brand new, state-of-the-art emergency trauma center that doubles the size of the facility we previously had. Hurley Medical Center is investing in the future, allowing us to better serve the needs of our patients and the greater Genesee County community as a whole,” said Melany Gavulic, RN, MBA, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, Hurley Medical Center.

The new Dr. Farouck N. Obeid Trauma Bay inside Hurley's Paul F. Reinhart Emergency Trauma Center

The ED and Trauma Center is named after the late Paul F. Reinhart, a former Michigan Department of Community Health official who was dedicated to ensuring adequate and fair distribution of Medicaid and Medicare funding for hospitals throughout the entire state of Michigan. 

In September, 2006, The Hurley Foundation received a one-year $232,000 grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation for a Neighborhood Redevelopment and Greenbelt Project. “The Mott Foundation grant enabled Hurley to produce innovative plans for our campus construction and renovation as part of a five-year strategic planning process," said Gavulic. "This ED expansion project will benefit our patients, staff, physicians, visitors and the entire community, and none of it would have been possible without the initial support from the Mott Foundation.”  

New Children’s Emergency Department Waiting Room

The expansion has been in the works for years. The previous overstretched ED previously accommodated 90,000 patients a year, including some of the most seriously injured accident victims. Hurley Medical Center is home to the region’s only Level I Trauma Center, treating thousands of patients 24/7, 365 days a year with the highest clinical care available.

Hurley’s greatly expanded ED facility features significant improvements, including a drop-off lane in front of the new Main Entrance, Adult ED and Pediatric ED entrances, up to 50% more patient rooms, improved adjacencies and operability, decreased noise levels and integration of new technologies. 

Members of Hurley's Emergency Department staff
 

Inhabiting the entire main floor of Hurley's East Wing, the new ED also extends out another 25,000 square feet toward Fifth Avenue, encompassing a total of 50,000 square feet. 

The expansion project represented one of the largest construction undertakings in Genesee County for quite some time, which will benefit the entire community. “This will enable Hurley to continue providing the highest quality of patient centered care available, enhancing its status as a community teaching hospital and research center of excellence,” added Gavulic.