Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, Pa., a certified Level 2 trauma center, was built to handle 35,000 patients per year. Currently experiencing a volume of about 54,000 patients per year (and expecting that number to reach 73,000 annually), owner Main Line Health decided an expansion was critical to meet the growing demands of the community. Francis Cauffman (Philadelphia) was selected to deliver architecture and interior design services for the hospital’s emergency department expansion project.

The 32,200-square-foot expansion will triple the size of Lankenau’s emergency department for an expanded triage area, intermediate, acute and trauma treatment areas, and radiology capabilities. Through the planning process, Francis Cauffman worked closely with the clinical team to devise a flow diagram that reflected the way the staff wanted to function in its new emergency department. The approach includes a quick registration and triage process at check-in that quickly sorts individuals by their identified level of acuity. Additionally, the walk-in entry and ambulance entry are located near each other so the triage team can care for both patient populations.

The Lankenau Emergency Department will need to maintain operation 24/7, so construction has been planned in stages. The expansion will more than doubling the number of patient beds and allow Lankenau to deliver advanced emergency services in an innovative and highly functional space. Included in this project is one level of below-grade parking adjacent to the new addition to provide convenient parking for ED patients and families.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in May 2017 and the $52.8 million expansion is expected to be completed in 2019.

 

Project source list

Architecture: Francis Cauffman

Interior design: Francis Cauffman

Engineering: O’Donnell & Naccarato (Structural), Syksa Hennessy (MEP), Chester Valley Engineers (Civil)

Sustainability Consulting Firm: The Sheward Partnership

Parking: The Harman Group

Acoustical Design: Shen Milsom & Wilke