Trustee and member of the ED Campaign Cabinet Molly Keegan provides some brief remarks following the tours of the hospital’s new addition.
Reminder Publishing photo by Trent Levakis
NORTHAMPTON — Cooley Dickinson Hospital welcomed the local leaders and donors on June 5 for a sneak peek of its new Emergency Department addition in what has become an anticipated addition to medical services at the hospital that will increase department services by 40%.
The new addition will create shorter wait times, increase patient privacy, enhance behavioral health care and improve on the coordination of care within the ER.
In 2023, Cooley Dickinson Hospital announced plans for a $26 million upgrade and expansion to the hospital’s Emergency Department, scheduled to open in early 2026. Supported by a robust capital campaign, the new Emergency Department will enhance efficiency and expand the unit by 40%, with the addition of nine new patient rooms, four mental health care beds, a family waiting area and in-unit CT scanning technology for more timely access to diagnostic imaging.
“How fortunate we are to have this opportunity to tour the new addition before it goes into use. Especially to enter on your own terms, on a voluntary basis,” said Cooley Dickinson Trustee and member of the ED Campaign Cabinet Molly Keegan. “As a board member, I’ve been closely following the ED expansion, reconfiguration and the renovation project, and I continue to be impressed with providers working through the various phases of the construction while continuing to meet the ever evolving emergency medical needs of our community.”
One advanced feature of the new Emergency Department is enhanced geriatric care. With Hampshire County’s population over age 60 expected to triple from 10% in 2010, to 32% by 2023, the community is aging. Currently, older adults make up 32% of Cooley’s Emergency Department patients and they are presenting with more complex needs than ever before.
“So, it goes hand in hand that we are seeing an older patient population and we are very proud to be a certified geriatric Emergency Department,” said Alberto Perez, MD, medical director of the Cooley Dickinson Hospital Emergency Department. “The ED leadership is embracing this time to change our processes. This is the best time to say, we can do better. We can use our patient care areas in a more efficient patient centered mindset.”
Another advanced feature is the capability for a larger behavioral health pod. Hampshire County has a high rate of mental health hospitalizations in comparison to the statewide average. Cooley Dickinson’s current behavioral health pod, while state-of-the-art, is half the size it needs to be in order to meet demand. Increasing the number of these specialized spaces will create a healing environment that respects the privacy of all.
The last highlighted new advanced feature with the new addition is the formation of a streamlined admission process. The project includes renovations to the admissions area that further separate the space from the waiting area, increasing patients’ sense of privacy and improving their admission experience.
“As many of you have witnessed in coming into the Emergency Department, we want to take care of you. If you end up in a stretcher in the hallway, that is suboptimal,” said Perez. “We want to be able to take care of you in the privacy that you deserve to have.”
Demand for Emergency Department services at Cooley Dickinson has grown significantly, with annual patient volume increasing from 17,000 in the 1970s, to nearly 34,000 in recent years. Emergency department teams treat approximately 300 traumatic injuries per year and last year alone, more than 6,000 patients needed to be admitted for further care.
Cooley Dickinson Hospital is a not-for-profit, acute care hospital offering community-based programs and services in Northampton. A member of the Mass General Brigham System, Cooley Dickinson has been advancing the health of people in the Pioneer Valley Since 1886.
“It is so awesome to see so many of you here today, especially all of you who care so deeply about our organization and the important role that we play in our community in support of our patients, our families and the team. And its because of your support that really makes Cooley the strong, community hospital that it is today,” said Kevin Whitney, DNP, RN, president and COO of Cooley Dickinson. “The senior team and I were really focusing on what we feel really matters most and that’s our patients, our families, our providers and the entire team.”
