By Julie Washington
cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The city’s planning commission on Friday conceptually approved early design plans for the Cleveland Clinic’s expansion of its main campus emergency department to accommodate the health system’s proposed Level 1 trauma center.
The 120,000-square-foot, three-story addition to the existing emergency department is intended to improve patient flow and operational efficiency. The construction project also will create space for the specialized requirements of Level 1 trauma center accreditation, including dedicated trauma bays and enhanced imaging technology.
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The Clinic plans to open its proposed adult and pediatric trauma center in 2028.
City councilman and planning commission member Charles Slife was the lone no vote on the preliminary plans, saying in a follow-up email that community concerns about the need for a third Level 1 trauma center in Cleveland have not been addressed. Level 1 trauma centers already exist at MetroHealth System and University Hospitals.
In an exchange of letters, Ohio lawmakers recently pressed the Clinic on the same issue, but said the health system’s answers fell short.
“I think it is premature to focus on design when underlying questions remain unanswered,” Slife said. “I agree with many in our Statehouse delegation that an analysis of the regional need/impact is prudent.”
The emergency department renovation and expansion is part of the next phase of the health system’s main campus master plan, a long-term effort designed to increase patient capacity within the existing campus footprint — or other areas designated by Cleveland for innovation, research and manufacturing — while making healthcare easy to access.
The proposed expansion is in the early stages of design, the Clinic said during the conceptual design review on Friday.
The existing footprint of the emergency department’s E Building, which is approximately 67,000 square feet, will be increased by about half, adding an additional 38,000 square feet on each of three levels.
The emergency department expansion will stretch directly south of the existing emergency department building at 9105 Cedar Ave., and will take up part of an existing surface parking lot. The facility will have new designated ambulance and walk-in patient vehicle zones, the Clinic said.
The proposed expansion of the Clinic’s E Building will include:
- The addition of 35 new emergency department treatment spaces, as well as additional general treatment spaces and new trauma treatment spaces.
- Enlargement of the second-floor surgery department, providing extra operating rooms to accommodate increased trauma cases.
- A partial fourth-level mechanical area to house mechanical systems.
Planning commission member August Fluker suggested the addition of a healing garden or informally landscaped area outside of the emergency department to serve as a calming retreat for people dealing with difficult emotions or grief.
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