The steel frame for the McLeod Dillon Emergency Department (ED) has reached the top. To celebrate this milestone, a Topping Out Celebration was held at McLeod Dillon on July 20, 2010. During the event, a steel beam signed by employees, Medical Staff members, Volunteers, and Community Advisory Board members was placed in the frame.
According to Robins and Morton, General Contractor, the Topping Out ceremony celebrates when the last beam is placed at the top of the building under construction. The beam carries an American Flag and a tree. With roots in Medieval Europe, the ceremony represents goodwill and good fortune to those who will enter the building.
The architect for the project is Design Strategies, LLC. Hoffman Steel is the steel supplier for the project.
Through its ED, McLeod Dillon is the only provider of care in Dillon County 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Based on historical data, the volume of patients using the Emergency Department for trauma and primary care is projected to continue to grow at a rate of 2.2 percent each year for the next ten years.
To meet that need, construction of a new Emergency Department is underway at McLeod Dillon.
“A new Emergency Department at McLeod Dillon will make emergency care more accessible and timely for patients in the area,” said Deborah D. Locklair, Administrator at McLeod Dillon. “In creating the new design, the focus of the expansion has been on efficiency and flexibility — providing for future growth and changes based upon population and technology. This focus will optimize benefits to the community.”
The renovation and construction project is estimated at $6.3 million. With the addition of approximately 9,365 square feet, it will have 17 new exam and treatment rooms, including designated triage and trauma rooms, a decontamination area, and staff support spaces. A new entrance for walk-in patients will keep them separate from those arriving by ambulance.
A new family waiting area has been designed for improved privacy and safety. In addition, a dedicated site for a helicopter pad will allow transporting of trauma patients. Existing Emergency Department exam rooms and support areas will be renovated to flow into the new construction.
In 2006, the Emergency Department at McLeod Dillon treated nearly 24,000 patients. In 2009, there were more than 25,000 Emergency Department visits, partly because of limited options for urgent care or after-hours primary care. All ages of patients are treated — from pediatric to geriatric.
A 79-bed community, not-for-profit, acute-care hospital, McLeod Dillon has a long history of providing quality care to its community. Committed to improving the health status of those it serves, McLeod has invested in services and technology in an unceasing effort to meet the health needs of the Dillon community.