Crystal Leach with the Bozeman Deaconess Foundation brought NBC Montana up to speed on their progress in renovations, during a special tour of the new emergency room facilities.
"In just the recent week, we've actually been moving to getting some of the done flooring done" Leach said during the tour.
Workers were busy hammering and drilling away on the 19 new rooms, and expanded nurses station.
"Really it's going to allow for much more efficient operation" Leach said.
Not only is the new space bigger- more than double the current ER- she said it's more efficient in design, with state-of-the-art equipment.
"It's very exciting because the new rooms in the addition are specialized" Leach said.
They'll have spaces for trauma, cardiac, OBGYN, isolation and traditional treatment.
Construction of the new emergency department is only phase one of the project.
Once that's finished, the hospital will begin work on phase two- remodeling the current ER.
The re-modeled space will be used for a registration and waiting area, and extra beds. The hospital will also add a covered entrance.
"I think we can all feel really good about the emergency services that we're going to have available to us as a community and to visitors to this community as well" Leach said.
The new facility will open in July, and Leach said they'll finish final renovations by January 2014.
The new emergency department will more than double in capacity- going from 10 beds to 26.
Plus, it'll triple the square footage.
Leach said the hospital will be able to handle more than 35,000 patients in the emergency room a year.
The current facility is meant to handle 15,000 patients, but Leach said they help more than 20,000.
The cost of the entire project is $15 million.
Leach said they had to raise $9 million of that 15 million for the new ER, and still have about $180,000 to go.
They're hoping to have that money in place by June. To find out how you can donate, you can call the Bozeman Deaconess Foundation office at 585-1085 or contribute online by clicking here.
