(GRAND FORKS, ND) – A longtime emergency medicine doctor at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks is looking forward to welcoming patients to the new hospital in a little over a week.
Dr. Christopher Boe, Chair of the Emergency Department of Altru Hospital, has been serving patients for several years, and says the building is one ‘for the entire community.’
As chair of the Emergency Department, Boe and his emergency physicians will enjoy more space than in the current hospital. Altru officials say the current hospital has 20 monitored patient rooms, while the new hospital has 33 monitored patient rooms. Within those 33 monitored spaces, 11 of them are vertical care spaces. These vertical care spaces have recliners and are for patients who are likely to discharge quickly for things such as sore throats, hand pain, or knee pain.
“We will still have some open spaces where people will be trying to get in and out quickly,” he said.
Boe says patients will notice some changes when the new department opens.
“I think the first thing that people are going to see is a very open and pleasant environment,” he said.
The overall look will be different.
“You’re going to see a much different appearance than what we’re used to in our current emergency department,” Boe said.
