Lankenau Medical Center, a Level 2 Trauma Center, in Wynnewood (Pa.), was designed to accommodate 35,000 patients annually. Main Line Health, the owner of the hospital, decided that an expansion was necessary to meet the increasing demands of the local community. Francis Cuffman (Philadelphia), was chosen to provide architecture and interior design for the hospital’s emergency department expansion.
The expansion of 32,200 square feet will triple Lankenau’s Emergency Department. It will include a larger triage area and a trauma and acute treatment area. Also, radiology capabilities are being added. Francis Cauffman, the project manager, worked closely with the team of clinicians to create a flow chart that reflected how the staff wished to operate in the new emergency department. This approach involves a triage and registration process that is done quickly at the check-in. It allows for a rapid sorting of individuals based on their level of acuity. The walk-in entrance and the ambulance entry are both located close to each other, so that the triage team is able to care for patients from both populations.
Construction has been done in phases because the Lankenau Emergency Department needs to be operational 24/7. The expansion will double the number of beds, allowing Lankenau emergency services to be delivered in a highly innovative and functional space. This project includes a level of parking below grade adjacent to the addition, to provide easy parking for ED families and patients.
