Newly Renovated EMS Lounge Also Offers Comfortable Space for EMS Crews 

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – July 1^st, 2024 – Delray Medical Center has opened its new “Vertical” Emergency Room (ER) to help speed up care for patients with less serious health issues. The ER is designed so staff can treat patients who are seated, rather than having them lie down on a bed as is typically required for patients needing higher acuity care.

In a traditional ER, where emergency staff care for patients who are lying on a bed or a stretcher, longer wait times and inefficiencies in treatment can occur when patients who are less ill or not as seriously injured do not require this higher level of care. In the new Delray Medical Center Vertical ER, patients with less acute health issues can relax in comfortable recliners while being treated, optimizing efficiency and minimizing unnecessary delays.

The Vertical ER features seven treatment bays equipped with individual TVs and call bells for patient convenience. It is staffed with dedicated nurses and medical technicians who are trained to provide personalized care tailored to the specific needs of each patient. The goal of this approach is to provide quicker assessments, diagnostic workups, and treatment.

“We recognized the need for a more patient-centered approach when it comes to providing emergency care for people with less acute health needs,” said Peter Kaplan, MD, facility medical director and chairman of emergency services at Delray Medical Center. “The Vertical ER enables us to offer more focused and streamlined care to patients who qualify for this approach, with the goal of ensuring they receive the attention they need more quickly and more efficiently.”

If a patient in the Vertical ER requires a higher level of care or additional treatment, they can be seamlessly transitioned to specialized medical professionals and resources in the hospital, according to Dr. Kaplan. “The Vertical ER is an exciting addition to the wide range of services that we offer at Delray Medical Center and sets a new standard for emergency medical care in our community.”

To further promote its already strong relationship with area EMS crews who transport patients to the hospital’s ER, Delray Medical Center also has unveiled its newly renovated EMS Lounge, which provides a comfortable, welcoming space with seats and a TV, where EMS personnel can enjoy free food and other refreshments when they are transporting patients.

“We recognize the pressures that our area EMS crews face every day in transporting sick and injured patients quickly and efficiently to the Delray Medical Center ER,” said Elijah Virgin, EMS Liaison for the Palm Beach Health Network. “We are proud and delighted to be able to offer them a dedicated space at our hospital where they can relax and have a respite while waiting to return to their critical work as our community’s first responders.”

For more information about emergency services at Delray Medical Center, call (561) 498-4440 or go to our website.

About Delray Medical Center

Delray Medical Center, part of the Palm Beach Health Network, is a 536-bed acute care hospital, spanning 30 acres, employing over 1,700 employees, 700 physicians, serving southern Palm Beach County for over 40 years. As both a community hospital and state-designated Level I Trauma Center Delray Medical Center offers several specialized services including state-of-the art cardiac and vascular facilities, orthopedics, neurosciences, emergency care, and weight-loss surgery.

Pinecrest Rehabilitation and Outpatient Hospital at Delray Medical Center is the only state designated brain and spinal cord injury rehabilitation program in the county by the State of Florida.  Delray Medical Center is also home to Fair Oaks Pavilion, a 53-bed adult psychiatry unit. For more information about our services, visit our website at www.delraymedicalctr.com.