Jackson Health’s Miami ER is Expanding. What the Changes Mean for Your Medical Care.

BY MICHELLE MARCHANTE for the Miami Herald

Jackson Health, Miami-Dade’s public hospital system, is tripling the size of its emergency room, turning it into one of the largest in the nation to keep up with the demand for medical care. The goal is to reduce wait times and improve access to care for patients.

The $300 million renovation could be the “most transformative and most impactful” project the hospital system has undertaken, said Jackson Health CEO Carlos Migoya. Jackson’s ER is one of the busiest in the nation and sees more than 125,000 patients a year, or about 340 patients daily, according to Migoya. More than 70 percent of patients admitted into the hospital system first get care at the ER, located on the campus of Jackson Memorial Hospital at 1611 NW 12th Ave. in Miami. But the ER — Jackson’s most visited location and “ground zero” for patient care — has aged and is nearly 50 years old. It opened in 1978, when Jimmy Carter was president and “Grease” played in movie theaters, Migoya said. The 48,000-square-foot emergency room is too small for the hospital’s growing patient population. There’s not enough privacy for patients. Sometimes, doctors have to put overflow beds in the hallways to care for Jackson’s steady stream of patients, officials said Tuesday at a news conference.

Now, the ER is getting a face lift. The hospital system this week held a groundbreaking ceremony for the 130,000- square-foot ER expansion, with plans to complete the first phase by late 2025. Renovations to the existing ER will be completed by 2027.

Officials say the renovations will not affect people’s access to care. “The emergency room of the future is on the way,” Migoya said.

WHAT PATIENTS CAN EXPECT AT JACKSON’S NEW ER

Once completed, the newly expanded ER will be one of the largest in the nation and is expected to reduce wait times for patients, Jackson leaders said. On average, wait times at the ER can be under two hours or about six hours, depending on various factors, including the severity of the patient’s condition, bed availability and whether the patient is admitted for further care, said Dr. Hany Atallah, chief medical officer at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He said Jackson’s goal is to have an “overall median length of stay” under five hours, including for admitted patients.

“This new emergency department will definitely transform the way we’re able to provide care by providing individual rooms for all patients, eliminate hall spots” and help improve the speed and access to care, Atallah said in a phone interview with the Miami Herald.

Jackson is expecting to see a huge growth in demand within the next decade, with more than 170,000 patients forecast to visit the ER by 2036. Jackson says the expanded and renovated ER will help it meet the expected demand with:

▪ More than 200 patient rooms, including 50 observation rooms, 30 UHealth Jackson Children’s Care pediatric rooms and six resuscitation rooms. Overflow beds will no longer be needed in the hallways, increasing patient privacy.

▪ Designated treatment areas for specific patient populations, such as for mental health patients, to enhance privacy. There will also be separate entrances for adult and pediatric ER patients.

▪ The ability to perform diagnostic tests efficiently in order to treat patients and either discharge them or admit them to the hospital more quickly.

This article was first published in the MIAMI HERALD.