UCHealth Greeley Hospital opens expanded emergency department

GREELEY — UCHealth Greeley Hospital has opened its expanded emergency department, a 150% increase in its original size.

The 6,455-square-foot expansion features a new emergency entrance, an enhanced waiting area, nine patient exam rooms, three intake rooms, eight vertical-care spaces and associated care team station and supply areas.

“The emergency department is the front door to healthcare for many members of our community. It is where lives are saved, difficult diagnoses are delivered, and hope is restored,” Grace Taylor, the hospital’s president, said in a written statement. “And this expansion demonstrates our confidence in the future of Greeley and our commitment to continuing to invest in healthcare access, innovation and excellence here.”

Since the hospital opened in July 2019, the number of emergency-department visits increased 37%, from 33,570 in fiscal year 2022 to 46,070 in fiscal year 2026, the hospital said.

The expansion will enable the hospital to accommodate more patients, reduce wait times, improve patient flow, support the care teams and enhance the overall patient experience, according to a press release.

Included in the expansion are “vertical care spaces” for lower-acuity patients, allowing patients to wait in a recliner, under the care of a nurse, until their test or imaging results are ready and they receive their discharge instructions.

“We can get these patients in, get them what they need and then get them home, where they have a far better opportunity to rest and heal instead of waiting for hours because sicker patients are getting care,” Emily Garner, the hospital’s director of operations, said in a written statement.

Greeley Hospital is designated as a Level III trauma center in addition to a certified primary stroke Center and has a 24-hour catheterization lab for cardiac-alert patients. The emergency department is a certified geriatric emergency department and a certified pediatric emergency department.

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