A new era in health care in Omaha began Friday morning. The ribbon was cut to officially open Creighton University Medical Center's new emergency department at University Campus, which is located near 24th and Cuming.
It's six blocks away from Creighton University Medical Center, which closed Friday after 40 years of operation. “Usually when you’re in an emergency room at six in the morning, it is not a cause for celebration, but today is obviously different,” said Cliff Robertson, CEO of CHI Health. “Today we mark a moment in the history of not only our health care system, but a moment in the history of Creighton University.”
The emergency department can handle traditional hospital emergency room cases. Patients with serious or critical injuries will be treated at Creighton's new trauma center at Bergan Mercy Hospital.
Patients who need to be hospitalized will be treated and stabilized at the new emergency department and transferred to the nearest appropriate hospital. Trauma patients who arrive at 24th and Cuming will be stabilized and sent to the nearest trauma center.
As Creighton closed it's doors Friday morning the first medical helicopter arrived at CUMC Bergan Mercy. The state-of-the-art Level 1 Trauma Center has a 52-room intensive care unit and a pair of new emergency rooms.
Other new features include:
- Expanded surgery suites
- An enlarged emergency department with a clinical decision and observation unit, which will allow some patients to avoid hospitalization
- A new four-bay drive-through ambulance garage and adjacent helipad
- A doubling of rooms in the new Intensive Care Unit
- A multi-story clinic and academic tower