Hospital adds treatment rooms, trauma space and new equipment as East Tennessee’s growing population drives increased demand for emergency care.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Smokies.LIVE) — Turkey Creek Medical Center has expanded its emergency department, adding treatment rooms, larger trauma spaces and new equipment as hospital leaders respond to rapid population growth and increasing demand for emergency care across East Tennessee.
Hospital officials unveiled the expansion Friday, saying the additional space will allow physicians and nurses to care for more patients while maintaining the hospital’s goal of having patients evaluated by a provider within 30 minutes of arriving at the emergency department.
“We’re expanding the number of rooms and the amount of space that we have to serve the community of patients in Knoxville, West Knoxville and the Farragut areas,” said Tony Benton, CEO of Tennova Healthcare’s Turkey Creek Medical Center. “We’ve continued to grow and grow as Knoxville has grown over the last few years, and we got to the point that we needed the extra space.”
Benton said the expansion is designed to improve patient flow while giving physicians, nurses and other clinicians more room to provide care.
One of the hospital’s priorities, he said, is reducing the amount of time patients wait before being evaluated by a medical provider.
“One of the most important things for patients is to be able to get in and be triaged by our physicians,” Benton said. “We want physicians and clinicians to put eyes on patients as soon as possible and get their care plan started.”
The emergency department treats a wide range of medical emergencies, including heart attacks, strokes and traumatic injuries. Turkey Creek Medical Center is a Level III Trauma Center and has specialists in cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery and neurosurgery available to care for patients requiring advanced treatment.
According to Benton, the hospital’s emergency department has experienced increased patient volumes for several reasons, including continued population growth in the Knoxville region, more transfers from rural hospitals and patients choosing the facility because of its quality ratings and patient experience.
“We’ve simply outgrown our space,” Benton said.
Emergency Department Director Stacie Roderick said the expansion fulfills a vision that has been years in the making.
“When I was hired here in 2021, there was already talk of this expansion,” Roderick said. “I wanted to be part of something that was growing, and now seeing it come together is very close to my heart.”
The project increases the emergency department’s capacity while adding two additional trauma bays, expanded treatment areas, a Fast Track section for lower-acuity patients and new medical equipment, including an ultrasound machine and advanced resuscitation equipment.
Roderick said the emergency department previously operated with just 12 beds while treating between 70 and 90 patients on some days.
“Our volume has outgrown our size,” she said. “Having this additional space allows us to get patients into rooms more quickly and gives us additional space when EMS brings in emergencies.”
She said patients arriving at the emergency department are first registered, evaluated by a triage nurse and assigned an acuity level before being seen by a provider. Lower-acuity patients are often discharged within one to two hours, while patients requiring laboratory work, CT scans or treatment for serious medical conditions typically remain in the department longer.
Hospital officials said the expansion is intended to improve care for residents across Knox County and surrounding communities as East Tennessee continues to experience sustained population growth.
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