Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital is embarking on a project to nearly triple the size of its cramped Emergency Department. The largest expansion project at the hospital in decades, it will add 650,000 square feet to the ED. The facility handled 111,000 patients last year in a facility designed for half that number. With the coronavirus pandemic, long wait times have become common and beds were lined up in the hallways as patients waited for space to open in the hospital.
The rebuild will feature more than 100 private patient rooms, according to a press conference with hospital COO Kathy Parinello. She said lack of beds is a frequent reason for overcrowding in the emergency department and makes it hard to take care of patients. Parinello says she’s confident that Strong can find enough staff to handle the expansionÂ