Growing Again to Better Serve You and Your Family

It’s not somewhere you plan to go. But when emergencies happen, you want to go somewhere close to home that you trust to return you and your loved ones to good health. That is why Methodist Richardson Medical Center is expanding to better serve you.

The $46 million project will add two new floors totaling about 80,000 square feet, which will accommodate the hospital’s pharmacy and laboratory. Another 25,000 square feet will be remodeled to expand the existing Emergency Department. That space will include additional trauma treatment areas and eighteen new ER beds.

“More than 50% of our admissions come through our Emergency Department, so it’s essentially the front door of our hospital,” says Methodist Richardson President Ken Hutchenrider, FACHE. “We are expanding to allow our ED to more effectively serve our growing region.”

Methodist Richardson is unique because it serves such a large population. More than 1.1 million people live within the hospital’s service area. That makes Methodist Richardson a medical hub for northeastern Dallas County, Collin County and parts of Rockwall County.

Emergency Departments across the nation are experiencing an overall increase in patient volume and the ED at Methodist Richardson is certainly a part of that trend, averaging 55,000 visits per year. This year, the Emergency Room at the campus located at the intersection of George Bush Highway and Renner Road has seen more than 150 patients daily. That’s a 12% increase over the previous year.

State Of The Er

The Texas EMS Trauma & Acute Care Foundation (TETAF) recently designated Methodist Richardson as a Level III trauma center. What does that mean to you? It means the hospital has 24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians and the prompt availability of general surgeons, specialists and anesthesiologists. If you fall off a ladder while cleaning the leaves out of your gutters, for example, you can rest assured paramedics will take you to a facility like Methodist Richardson where they know staff will be available and ready at any time – day or night365 days a year.

“Trauma is a leading cause of death in people ages 1-44,” says Methodist Richardson Trauma Director Stuart Johnston, MD, FACS. “Access to highquality trauma care in our area can mean the difference between life and death.”

Requirements of Level III trauma centers include:

• 24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians and the prompt availability of general surgeons and anesthesiologists

• A comprehensive quality assessment program

• Transfer agreements for patients requiring more comprehensive care at a Level I or Level II Trauma Center

• Back-up care for rural and community hospitals

• Continued education of the nursing and allied health staff and the trauma team

• Involvement with prevention efforts and active outreach program for its referring communities

The hospital also recently earned its certification as a comprehensive stroke center. Certified comprehensive stroke centers meet standards to treat the most complex stroke cases. It’s the highest level of stroke care which includes:

• Comprehensive stroke performance measures

• 24/7 neuro-intensive care unit

• 24/7 operating room

• Endovascular and imaging services

• Advanced imaging capabilities

• Available personnel trained in vascular, neurological, neurosurgical and endovascular procedures.

Planning For Growth

This most recent project is the third major expansion for the hospital since it opened nearly nine years ago. In 2018, Methodist Richardson underwent an $85 million expansion project, which included the 104,000 square foot addition of two new floors. The project also added the hospital’s ninth operating room and a seven-story parking garage. The new facilities opened in late December 2019, just months ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That timing was fortunate, but growth is no accident,” Hutchenrider says. “It’s about preparing for the future with a strategic master plan that reacts to the evolving needs of our communities.”

Methodist Richardson offers personalized healthcare services for every stage of life and every state of health, from a level III neonatal intensive care unit to highly specialized cancer treatment and everything in between. It’s about advanced care that’s close to home. Care that you trust.

Guided by the founding principles of life, learning and compassion, Dallas-based Methodist Health System (Methodist) provides quality, integrated healthcare to improve and save the lives of individuals and families throughout North Texas. Twelve hospitals proudly carry the

Methodist Health System brand, as owners or through affiliation. More than 50 Methodist Family Health Centers and Methodist Medical Group specialty physician office locations are among the facilities served by the nonprofit Methodist Health System, which is affiliated by covenant with the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Additional information is available at http://MethodistHealthSystem.org.

Texas law prohibits hospitals from practicing medicine. The physicians on the Methodist Health System medical staff are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Methodist Health System.