Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center Celebrates Newly Constructed Emergency Department

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center cut the ribbon on its newly constructed emergency department on Friday, Feb. 28, at an open house and celebration for community leaders, and hospital and Covenant Health leadership. Invited physicians and special guests toured and previewed the new emergency facility, which is scheduled to be fully operational and receiving patients on March 7.

New Features

The new emergency department has moved to the lower level of the hospital’s Center for Advanced Medicine and has a dedicated entrance off Laurel Avenue for patients and visitors. Ambulance access will remain via Clinch Avenue until a planned entrance for EMS opens off 19^th Street later this year.

Fort Sanders Regional’s new emergency department features:

• Nearly double the number of patient rooms and square footage compared to the previous space
• Dedicated public and ambulance entrances
• A separate waiting area for test/procedure results
• Radiology suite with CT scanner and X-ray services within the department

“This emergency department was designed with the patient in mind,” said Keith Altshuler, president and chief administrative officer of Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. “The efficient design and advanced technology will allow us to continue to care for the region with high-quality health care.”

Altshuler expressed special thanks to the ED staff and physicians, and to all hospital staff and volunteers for their commitment to excellence. He noted the timeliness of the occasion, with the hospital celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the original Fort Sanders Hospital just days before. He said the hospital continues to focus on innovation today, including offering the latest equipment and treatments as the hub of Covenant Health’s stroke hospital network.

Jim VanderSteeg, president and CEO of Covenant Health, the parent company of Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, referenced downtown-area hospital closures over the past several years and said the Knoxville area “needs and deserves additional emergency care resources. This project is specifically designed to meet the needs of a growing downtown community, city and region.”

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon also spoke at the event, saying, “Access to emergency medical care is critical for a city of our size.” She noted the growing number of residents, particularly downtown, and said, “I am pleased to hear how Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is meeting patient needs with this new facility. As an individual, a mother, and a resident of North Knoxville, I can rest more easily knowing state-of-the-art emergency care is here.” Mayor Kincannon thanked Covenant Health for its important investment on behalf of the City of Knoxville.

Growing to Meet Community Needs

The hospital’s continuing growth as a regional referral center and Knoxville’s only downtown hospital is a fitting tribute to Fort Sanders Regional’s legacy of service as the hospital celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2019-2020. The hospital will continue construction on two new critical care floors located atop the Center for Advanced Medicine and 250 new parking spaces in the Laurel Garage.

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, a member of Knoxville-based Covenant Health, is a 541-bed regional referral center for neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, oncology, cardiology, obstetrics and rehabilitation medicine.

In the past century, Fort Sanders Regional has admitted an estimated 750,000 patients, performed 400,000 surgeries and helped bring 125,000 babies into the world. The hospital has had more than a million emergency department visits during its 100-year history.

For more information, visit www.covenanthealth.com.