Methodist Health System Opens Charles A. Sammons Tower
First Emergency, Trauma, and Critical Care Tower in North Texas
Methodist Dallas Medical Center will unveil the first patient care tower in Dallas devoted to emergency, trauma, and critical care when it officially opens the Charles A. Sammons Tower on Monday, July 28. The six-story, 248,000-square-foot tower includes a new 59-bed emergency department, eight integrated operating suites, 36-bed surgical intensive care unit (SICU), and 34-bed neurocritical care unit (NCCU), which expands the hospital’s total number of beds to 558.
Methodist Dallas, a critical safety-net hospital, is one of only three adult trauma centers in Dallas County and the only one in southern Dallas County. The medical center’s emergency department treats more than 60,000 patients annually, including 1,600 trauma patients. The tower expansion provides the hospital with increased capacity to treat 90,000 patients annually. Currently designated as a level II trauma center, the hospital completed the survey process in July to receive level I verification and expects formal notification within the next eight to 12 weeks.
“The $123-million investment by Methodist Health System in southern Dallas County is the first by a corporation in recent years and one of the largest ever. It demonstrates an ongoing commitment to the southern sector,” said Stephen L. Mansfield, PhD, FACHE, president and CEO, Methodist Health System. “Methodist Health System has experienced aggressive growth during the past several years, and is proud to be the largest employer in Southern Dallas.”
The overall design of the new tower promotes efficiencies and provides a healing atmosphere by incorporating an abundance of natural lighting into patient care and lobby areas. Trauma rooms, operating suites, and patient rooms were constructed with additional space to accommodate advanced critical care medical equipment and enhance patient comfort.
“For more than 85 years, Methodist Dallas has been committed to serving Dallas with innovative medical services,” said Laura Irvine, FACHE, president, Methodist Dallas Medical Center. “The new Sammons Tower advances emergency, trauma, and critical care services extending our mission to improve and save lives.”
The tower’s distinct layout focuses on decentralized nursing by locating nurses closer to patients. The pod design of the new emergency department supports efficiencies that will enhance patient care. Each pod features private patient rooms with dedicated support services to allow staff to spend more time with patients. Pods are arranged so they can be staffed up or down based on patient demand. Natural light plays a critical role throughout the design of the patient floors with glass being used to lessen noise while improving visibility.
