A little more than two-and-a-half years in the making, the brand new Cleveland Akron General Emergency Department was unveiled to local leaders and the media on Wednesday. During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Akron General President Dr. Brian Harte reinforced the hospital system's commitment to the Akron area. 

Read more from the Cleveland Clinic below: 

Cleveland Clinic Akron General’s new $49.3 million emergency department opens to patients at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, July 31, more than tripling the size of its current emergency department and enhancing patient experience.

“This new emergency department is a very visible example of Cleveland Clinic Akron General’s commitment to meeting the healthcare needs of the residents of Akron and the surrounding communities,” said Brian Harte, M.D., president of Akron General. “As a regional Level I Trauma Center, we serve patients with critical injuries and this investment will help our caregivers provide safe, high-quality care in the most efficient manner possible.”

The new emergency department is designed to expedite the process from admittance through discharge and includes:

• Sixty total treatment rooms, including:
  • Two trauma rooms that double the size of trauma care capacity
  • Two resuscitation rooms
  • Six rooms for minor injuries and illnesses
  • Five behavioral health rooms
• A rooftop helipad
• An imaging department, including a CT scanner and two radiographic rooms
• A designated area for Akron General’s PATH Center (Providing Access to Healing) through which Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners provide quality, trauma-informed, compassionate care to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, elder abuse and neglect
• A designated area for quarantining and treating highly contagious patients

The emergency department is located on the first floor of a new 67,000-square-foot building and a new second-floor bridge connects it to the surgery center at the main hospital in downtown Akron. Administrative offices are located on the second floor along with a 19-bed observation unit that will be used for treatment and evaluation while determining whether a patient needs to be admitted to the hospital.

The building follows environmentally friendly design practices, continuing Cleveland Clinic’s energy conservation and sustainability efforts, including:

•Water efficiency: Low-flow toilets and sinks use about 40 percent less water than a baseline system.

•Energy efficiency: 100 percent LED lighting and building automation system optimizes the usage of conditioned air.

•Energy conservation: Indoor lights utilize daylight when available.

•Landfill diversion: Reduced waste, improved quality and increased safety due to more construction materials being fabricated offsite. 90 percent of construction debris was reclaimed and repurposed for other usable products.

•Indoor air quality: Use of low-VOC paints, adhesives, furnishing and materials to reduce indoor air pollution.

A reception was held for community and health system leaders this morning, and a special open house will be held for caregivers this afternoon. A community open house will be held on Saturday, July 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The building was designed by Hasenstab Architects and constructed by The Ruhlin Company.