UAB Hospital Emergency Department
The UAB Hospital Emergency Department is a trauma center and trauma burn center operated by UAB Medical Center. It is certified as a "Level 1" center for adult trauma and burn trauma treatment by the American College of Surgeons, and serves as a primary regional referral center for head trauma, spinal cord trauma and burn trauma. The department also provides emergency clinical care and supports the UAB Heersink School of Medicine's Department of Emergency Medicine in its educational and research activities.
The primary admitting area for the UAB Hospital Emergency Department is in the UAB North Pavilion building, which opened in 2004 at 1802 6th Avenue South. It includes 45 treatment rooms divided into 9 patient care areas with their own nursing stations. UAB Hospital-Highlands has its own emergency department, accredited as a Level 1 Geriatric Emergency center, with an entrance on 12th Street South. UAB also operates the freestanding emergency center at the UAB Gardendale Clinic, which opened in 2019.
The emergency department at UAB Hospital supports the UAB Chest Pain Center, and was the first to provide therapeutic hypothermia therapy to preserve neurologic function in patients resuscitated after cardiac arrest. The department employs a virtual Chest Pain Evaluation Unit to aid in cardiac care.
The UAB Hospital Emergency Department is the state's busiest Stroke Center.
The department's Hyperbarics and Wound Care Center provides advanced treatment for difficult wounds.
UAB's Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine supports emergency treatment at Children's of Alabama.
In March 2023 the University of Alabama Board of Trustees approved an $8.4 million stopgap project to address a critical shortage of emergency department facilities. Nine new exam rooms and temporary waiting room would be added to the North Pavilion and two treatment centers in portable buildings leased from Mobile Healthcare Facilities of Powder Springs, Georgia would be set up along 18th Street South at a cost of $8.4 million. Gresham Smith Partners provided architectural services for that project.
A long-term $73 million project to add 66,030 square feet to the department, including 59 new exam rooms on two floors, was given preliminary approval by the Board of Trustees in April 2023. Governor Kay Ivey and the Alabama State Legislature appropriated $50 million from the Alabama Education Trust Fund to support the project.
References
- Thrailkill, Laurel (March 7, 2023) "'Terrible emergency': UAB Hospital plans temporary expansion to mitigate demand." Birmingham Business Journal
- Thrailkill, Laurel (April 19, 2023) "UAB Hospital to undergo $73M expansion to alleviate high ER demand." Birmingham Business Journal
- Thrailkill, Laurel (July 11, 2023) "UAB Hospital receives millions in state funds to expand ED." Birmingham Business Journal
External links
- UAB Hospital Emergency Department at uabmedicine.org