Phoenix Children's Hospital is preparing to open its new emergency department and trauma center downtown.
"This whole place was designed with patients in mind," said Dr. Blake Bulloch, the hospital's Division Chief of Emergency Medicine.
The current emergency department was built for 27,000 patients a year and in 2017 saw 87,000.
The new, 40-million dollar facility is equipped for 100,000 patients by design.
"This is going to make a difference. This is going to save lives," said trauma center director Dr. David Notrica.
Currently, patients arriving at the hospital's helipad must travel down an 11-story elevator and through a quarter-mile of hallways to get to a trauma room. It takes almost five minutes, the new facility cuts that down to 1:30.
In addition to accommodating more kids, there's space for up to six ambulances to drop off patients at once. Outer and interior corridors provide separate walkways for families, doctors, and nurses. Hospital staff tells ABC15 that will allow faster, more consistent check-ups and increased privacy.
Phoenix Children's Hospital is the only level one pediatric trauma center in Arizona. The new facility is scheduled to open September 20th.
