Main Line hospital plans $52.8 million emergency department expansion

Lankenau Medical Center unveiled plans Friday to spend $52.8 million to expand and enhance its emergency department.

The Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, hospital's emergency department, built to handle 35,000 patients, is currently seeing about 54,000 patients a year. Lankenau officials expect that number to increase to 73,000 by 2025.

The proposed expansion project, which will require township approval, is expected to be completed in early 2019.

“This expansion project will allow Lankenau to deliver advanced emergency services in an innovative and highly functional space that will reflect the expertise and commitment of our Emergency Department team,” said Phil Robinson, the hospital's president. “The enhancements and effective design of the space will significantly reduce waiting times and will continue to ensure that we are offering a superior patient experience to the communities we serve.”

The plan calls for adding 32,200 square feet of space to the emergency department and more than doubling the number of patient beds in the ER to 57 from 26. New space will also be used for:

An expanded triage area for assessing patients;

• Supertrack, Intermediate, acute and trauma treatment areas that will allow the hospital to group patients according to their medical needs;
• Radiology capabilities; and
• A new parking garage.

Lankenau's last major expansion was completed in 2013 when the hospital opened its $465 million, five-story Heart Pavilion.

Lankenau Medical Center is part of Bryn Mawr-based Main Line Health, which also includes Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Bryn Mawr Hospital has its own $250 million construction project underway. Initially expected to be a $200 million investment, the cost of construction went up another $50 million with the decision to expand the patient-care pavilion by two floors.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal