Why Now?
The population of St. Tammany is growing. In fact it has grown 24% in the last decade. East St. Tammany accounts for 49% of the parish population at the present time. This is the community served by Slidell Memorial Hospital.Our need for a new ER with greater capacity is URGENT.
What does that mean in terms of the ER patients?
SMH currently sees ~28,000 patients per year. The ER with the current number of beds is equipped to treat 24,500 patients per year according to national standards. The overflow is the reason that longer waits are being experienced by patients at peak times.
With more space in the ER and more private beds in the hospital, SMH can reduce wait times by 45%-50%. SMH can also provide quicker assessments when a patient arrives in the ER. The ER doctors and nurses anticipate that in the new ER patients will be assessed within 15 minutes of arrival.
Space is really critical when the patient is in a life threatening situation. Minutes count when patients come from an accident or present with heart attack and stroke symptoms Our new state-of-art ER will be ready and offer our community "peace of mind" when they or their loved ones are faced with an emergency.
Will you need us?
SMH saw 83,000 patients in the last three years. With 117,000 people currently in East St. Tammany the chances are that at some point you will need us. With our new ER we will be ready.What else is important?
Leading technology and certified ER physicians are very important in providing quality Emergency Care. SMH has used funds from the current millage to invest in the best diagnostic equipment available including leading edge imaging. This means that patients coming to the ER can expect a thorough and accurate assessment of their condition. SMH also has certified ER physicians with the clinical skills that facilitate accurate diagnoses and treatment in ER situations. SMH technology and certified ER physicians will be an important part of what we will offer the community in a new ER facility.