The new WakeMed North Healthplex Emergency Department had a busy first 15 days with 738 patients. Sulaimann Shabazz hurt his back at work, but X-rays showed it was just a muscle strain. The warehouse where he works is just a couple blocks away from the new emergency department.
"It was quick, convenient," he said.
Raleigh's other hospitals were built when a majority of the city's population lived within the Beltline. But now, the city's borders extend north almost to Wake Forest. Until WakeMed North Healthplex opened, the ride to the nearest emergency room could be 30 minutes or more.
Carolyn Knaup, a registered nurse and executive director of WakeMed North Healthplex said, "the only thing that's different about this facility is the fact that we have no beds here."
The staff transfers patients who need surgery or overnight care.
"Trauma is not brought here by EMS, but that doesn't mean that trauma doesn't show up at the door, via private vehicle," Knaup said.
The new facility has a CT Scan as well as other imaging services. Two rooms were designed specifically for children, with child themed decorations, bright colors, books and a stuffed toy with a lollipop to greet them.
The WakeMed North Healthplex is at the corner of Falls of Neuse and Durant Roads. The emergency department is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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