BEAUFORT MEMORIAL CELEBRATES EMERGENCY CENTER’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY, FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS

story by COURTNEY McDERMOTT

Beaufort Memorial recently celebrated the Pratt Emergency Center’s 10th year of operation and its treatment of nearly 500,000 patients, with an eye toward new improvements.

The 20,500-square-foot facility, which opened January 9, 2013, treats approximately 50,000 patients annually, and planned hospital renovations will help ER staff manage the evolving needs of future patients.

Later this year, Beaufort Memorial will invest approximately $750,000 in renovations and improvements to the ER. The project will include a new two-room and two-recliner-bay psychiatric evaluation and intake unit to allow for a quiet environment separated from the busy ER atmosphere and additional safety measures to handle patients who may be prone to violence, prevent elopement and reduce risk of self-harm.

Beaufort Memorial has been consecutively awarded the Drive to Zero Suicide Award from the South Carolina Hospital Association and the South Carolina Department of Mental Health for its evidence-based suicide prevention training of staff, formal policies to screen patients, enhanced safety planning, and a follow-up process for patients with local community mental health resources.

“The new facility improvements are part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that we are providing the highest level of quality care and patient safety possible, while serving a growing number of patients with mental health concerns,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley.

To learn more about the new Pratt Emergency Center, visit BeaufortMemorial.org.