KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The biggest expansion to the emergency department at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in over 20 years has reached a major milestone. The first phase the multi-year effort to cut down on wait times is now complete.
Hospital officials in 2023 announced plans for the 30,000-square-foot expansion, nearly doubling the size of the emergency department at the region’s only Level I Trauma Center.
New Tennessee laws going into effect in 2026
Phase 1 upgrades include 30 new treatment spaces, an eight-bed triage space with four dedicated to ambulance arrivals, a mass decontamination zone in the event of chemical exposure emergencies, and a larger lobby.
A specialized oncology waiting space will provide positive-pressure ventilation for immunocompromised patients and an EMS lounge will provide first-responders with their own space to relax between calls.
National company buys Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center
The renovated emergency department has been renamed The Haslam Family Center for Emergency and Trauma. The family was one of the main private donors for the expansion. The expanded space will officially open on January 5…