Emanuel Medical Center celebrated a significant milestone this month with a groundbreaking ceremony for its highly anticipated Emergency Department expansion. The event was attended by a large and diverse group, including local community members, hospital employees, elected officials, and representatives from both the Emanuel County Hospital Authority and the Emanuel Medical Center Foundation. Key figures from RW Allen Construction, the general contractor for the project, and architect Kevin Palmer also joined the event.
The expansion aims to enhance patient care and reduce wait times by increasing the number of treatment rooms, adding a "fast-track" area for lower-acuity cases, and creating dedicated spaces for behavioral health patients. The redesigned layout will also improve the efficiency of emergency care delivery.
During the ceremony, CEO Damien Scott emphasized the importance of this project. “Emanuel Medical Center is dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality medical care for our community. This project will significantly enhance our capacity and strengthen our infrastructure, ensuring that residents of Emanuel County and the surrounding areas continue to have reliable access to emergency care.” - Damien Scott, Emanuel Medical Center CEO.
Smith Edenfield, a member of the Emanuel County Hospital Authority and Chair of the Building & Grounds Committee, thanked hospital staff for their dedication, noting the great strides the hospital has made since the challenges of the pandemic. He also expressed gratitude to contributors of the Georgia HEART(Helping Enhance Access to Rural Treatment) program, a state initiative that allows taxpayers to direct their income tax dollars to qualifying rural hospitals. "This project will serve our community for generations, and those who have contributed to our hospital through Georgia HEART will be able to look at this and say, ‘I had a hand in that,’" Edenfield remarked.
Following remarks from Scott and Edenfield, Emergency Department and Trauma Program Manager Brooke Marsh who welcomed attendees, and Hospital Authority member Rusty Simmons offered a prayer of blessing for the project.
Construction of the expanded Emergency Department is expected to last until spring 2025. During this period, the hospital’s ICU has temporarily become the Emergency Department, with the entrance relocated to the rear of the hospital. ICU patients have been moved to the second floor. Despite these changes, both the ICU and Emergency Department will remain fully operational throughout the construction process.
RPN Community Liaison, Amy Wilkie, has been collaborating with the Director of Emanuel Medical Center, Lynn Brinson, to identify resources and navigate the application process of programs like the Rural Hospital Stabilization Grant and the State Economic Infrastructure Development Grant that assisted in funding for the expansion, coming from multiple sources, including:
- $875,000 from the Rural Hospital Stabilization Grant through the State Office of Rural Health.
- $500,000 from the Rural Hospital Support Dual Track Grant, also through the State Office of Rural Health.
- $600,000 from the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission's State Economic Infrastructure Development (SEID) Grant, which will fund equipment for the expansion, as well as upgrades to the nurse call system and hospital security.
In addition to these grants, contributions from the Georgia HEART program have been committed to the project, allowing local taxpayers to play a vital role in supporting the hospital’s mission.
As construction begins, Emanuel Medical Center is poised to continue its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional care, ensuring that the Emergency Department can meet the growing needs of the community for years to come.