With the official statement being, “due to unforeseen developments, the official opening has been delayed until later in the month,” Piedmont’s Emergency Room will not see it’s February 1st opening date.

While Denise Ray, CEO, Piedmont Mountainside Hospital stated that they have completed everything necessary to open their emergency room, they are awaiting a few inspections and filing approvals to finalize the project.

Specifically, Ray referred to “CMS-855 and State Lab Inspections”as the main hold ups.

Several inspections have already been completed on the hospital including the DEA and State Fire Marshalls. The ER has already received its Certificate of Occupancy on January 6th. However, the delays could see the ER not opening until the later part of February.

When it does open, FYN has been informed that almost any emergency service that could be handled in their Mountainside location will be able to be handled in their new emergency room. They have already attained equipment to support their plans for “a 64 Slice-CT scanner, X-ray, pharmacy and laboratory” located on premises according to Ray who says all the equipment is being tested for use.

Additionally, the staff to be used will incorporate the same Team Health service that provide physicians for Piedmont Mountainside. Ray said,

“We have carefully coordinated details with Team Health, our current provider of ER physicians, to ensure that there will be no scheduling conflicts. We have also hired more than 22 additional staff, including nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists, radiology and lab technicians and more to support this location. A large number of existing employees will also be rotating between Piedmont’s other locations to provide the appropriate compliment of staff to care for our patients.”

Of course, with the free-standing Emergency Department, any patients requiring hospitalization would be transferred. However, Piedmont has assured FYN that admissions and transfers would follow “the same process as they would if they were entering Piedmont Mountainside Hospital’s emergency room in Jasper.”