Local and hospital officials with Westfield Memorial Hospital unveiled the new emergency department Tuesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Included in the upgrade is the redesign and expansion of the emergency department waiting room. Submitted photo

WESTFIELD — The newly renovated Westfield Memorial Hospital emergency department was officially opened during a ribbon-cutting celebration Tuesday.

The expanded and upgraded emergency department will allow the hospital, part of Allegheny Health Network, to “better accommodate its patients from Westfield and the surrounding western New York region, reducing wait times and providing more efficient and effective care in a patient-friendly environment,” the hospital said in a statement.

Included in the new facility is a redesign and expansion of the emergency department waiting room; the addition of two specialized patient intake chairs; creation of a new ambulance vestibule, four new treatment rooms, one large new trauma room, a physician consult room and new nursing/staff stations.

The new department also includes an innovative new Split Flow system that is designed to expedite patient triage and treatment.

“In times of an emergency health need, patients and their families deserve the best possible experience and this new facility will more than live up to that standard,” said Cynthia Hundorfean, president and CEO of Allegheny Health Network.

The new emergency department was made possible through the efforts of the Westfield Memorial Hospital Foundation’s RED (Renovate our Emergency Department) Campaign, which began in 2016.

“We’re so excited to be celebrating the opening of this beautiful new emergency department,” said Helen Baran, chair of the WMH board of directors. “Today is a day for all of Westfield and its surrounding communities to be proud of with the generosity of so many making this possible. We don’t have a ribbon long enough to include the hundreds of donors who contributed to the project championed by the work of our amazing foundation, including its immediate past president, Rose Van Volkenburg and its executive director, Patricia Gaughan DiPalma.”

Westfield also received a New York State Rural Health Grant of $153,000 for the project, as well as support from Saint Vincent and AHN.

“It is a great privilege to be part of a health system and community that is so dedicated to improving the well-being of everyone who lives and works in this region,” said Peter Pascale, WMH Administrator. “With this new facility, we will significantly enhance the care and outcomes of patients requiring emergency services, and we are extremely grateful to everyone who helped bring it to life.”