SPOKANE, Wash. -- Deaconess opened Spokane's first freestanding Emergency Room on Thursday.
The $10 million facility was funded by the hospital's parent company CHS. It is the first of its kind, where patients can get emergency care without the wait times often experienced in a hospital. Organizers said they hope to cut wait times down from 30 minutes to none at all.
Deaconess' new 15-room facility is located at N. Division St. and Lincoln Road. A freestanding ER has more equipment and capabilities than an urgent care, such as a portable x-ray machine that travels between patient rooms. A helicopter and landing pad on site is also included within the new facility.
Deaconess Emergency Department Medical Director Justin Racht said there has been a growing need for this type of emergency room.
"Our emergency departments have been getting busier and busier year after year over these past few years and we realized there's a need that's being unmet," said Racht.
