Bayfront Health St. Petersburg Opens Freestanding Emergency Center In Pinellas Park

St. Petersburg, FL (December 20, 2018) Today Bayfront Health St. Petersburg has opened the first freestanding emergency department in Pinellas Park, giving residents in Pinellas Park and surrounding areas of Pinellas County quick and convenient access to nearby emergency services.

The Bayfront Health ER Pinellas Park is located 3070 Grand Avenue, just north of Gandy Boulevard on Grand Avenue and just west of I-275 near exit 28. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to serve patients who experience medical emergencies.

"We are committed to expanding emergency service access to meet the growing needs of Pinellas County," said Bayfront Health St. Petersburg's Chief Executive Officer, John McLain. "Bayfront Health ER- Pinellas Park will provide faster access to emergency care for people living in the area corridor where Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg connect."

Bayfront Health ER Pinellas Park offers emergency care, but has no inpatient (overnight) beds. The Center is equipped to treat patients with life-threatening and serious illnesses or injuries including respiratory distress, abdominal pain, allergic reaction, food poisoning, orthopedic injuries and fractures, lacerations and minor burns, many of which exceed the capabilities of urgent care centers.

The freestanding emergency department has 8 private patient rooms including pediatrics with X-ray, CT, ultrasound, and lab services on-site. Board-certified emergency physicians, registered nurses and other patient care providers will staff the center. The staff is dedicated to offering quality emergency care as efficiently and quickly as possible.

"Many emergencies can be effectively managed at freestanding emergency departments without the need for transfer to a traditional hospital setting," said Dr. Traci Ryan, Freestanding Emergency Department Medical Director. "Bayfront Health ER Pinellas Park is just like any ER, except it isn't attached to a hospital."

Bayfront Health ER Pinellas Park has worked with local EMS providers to coordinate a plan and clear protocols for transporting patients to and from the Center, as well as confirming the types of ambulance-transported cases the freestanding ED is equipped to treat.

In cases where patients come to the freestanding emergency department with conditions that require hospital treatment, Bayfront Health ER Pinellas Park will be prepared to begin important initial treatment and stabilization and then transfer them to a hospital.

The project is Bayfront's latest investment in emergency and trauma services. Last fall, the hospital began 22 million in renovations at its main campus Emergency and Trauma Center at 701 6th Street South in Downtown St. Petersburg. The updated center to be completed by the end of 2019, will nearly double the size of the existing ER and increase the number of beds to 43 private rooms.

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