Northern Nevada Medical Center has cut the ribbon on its newest stand-alone emergency room in Damonte Ranch, just over a year after breaking ground on the facility.
The company plans to open the building to patients by early March.
“I hope nobody has to come here, but if you do, we’ve got some of the highest trained, most competent staff that I’ve ever worked with,” said interim CEO Chris Loftus on Monday.
The facility is one of three freestanding ERs that NNMC operates in the region, alongside Spanish Springs and North McCarran locations.
Loftus said that constructing the ERs, alongside their two traditional hospitals, has come with some advantages.
Patient wait times for emergency services are lower, standing at just 15 minutes on average, and the buildings are cheaper, easier, and faster to build.
The head of the emergency department added that it’s a formula that supports a rapidly growing Reno-Sparks.
“Adding another location allows for the ability for the patients to choose where they go and be seen quickly, and offloads (strain) from some of the other emergency departments in the area,” said Dr. Travis Anderson, assistant medical director of the emergency department.
Loftus said that NNMC is keeping an eye on regional growth and is open to constructing more stand-alone emergency rooms to reflect patient needs.
