McLaren Macomb in Mount Clemens opened its Wayne and Joan Webber Emergency and Trauma Center on Monday after a little more than two years of construction. The new six-story tower has the emergency department on the ground level.
“Tracking the health needs of Macomb County, it was clear to us that the demand for emergency care was high and would continue to grow,” says Tom Brisse, president and CEO of McLaren Macomb. “McLaren Macomb is proud to now be in the position to meet that need and provide accessible emergency care to anyone who seeks it.”
The new emergency department more than doubles the size of the hospital’s previous emergency department and features 68 treatment spaces and a capacity to treat about 120,000 patients per year. It also has seven resuscitation rooms, up from the three existing trauma bays.
There are also separate rooms for pediatric patients as well as rooms designed to address the needs of geriatric and behavioral health patients. Waiting rooms are also larger, and there are spaces designated for higher- and lower-acuity patients and pediatric patients.
“The entire department was designed with the care of the patient in mind,” says Dr. James Larkin, director of emergency medicine at McLaren Macomb. “This benefits us as physicians as well because it allows us to treat more patients in a timelier manner.”
The lower level of the tower features a learning, training, and recreation center for the hospital’s more than 100 resident and fellow physicians. Remaining floors have been left open for future construction, with plans to add surgical suites on the second floor.
While McLaren is still testing and taking safety precautions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has resumed elective procedures and in-office care. Visitor restrictions still are in place.
