KRISTV.com
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS | CONTINUOUS NEWS COVERAGE
Powered by
Local News
Influx of People Forces Beeville Hospital Renovation
Posted: Mar 8, 2013 5:27 PM by Morgan Frances - MFrances@kristv.com
Updated: Mar 8, 2013 7:29 PM
BEEVILLE -With the influx of people moving to Bee County to work the Eagle Ford Shale, the hospital is having to treat a lot more patients than they're used to. The county has planned to renovate the facility to handle all those extra people.
"As soon as we have room back here in the ER we'll get you back so we can take a look at it OK?," a member of the medical staff said to a patient waiting at the hospital.
It's a common problem these days at Christus Spohn Hospital in Beeville to not have enough room in the emergency room department because of the increased population credited to the Eagle Ford Shale boom.
"These truckers are out there and the oil field business is booming," said Vice President Chief Operating Officer Raymond Ramos. "They're 24/7 and we hear them down 181. It's constant traffic so it just depends when that accident occurs," he said.
As a result, the hospital is having to take care of a lot more patients than they're used to.
"We generally staff the ED (Emergency Department) to see about 51 or 52 patients in a 24 hour period," said Assistant Nurse Manager Laura Pulido. "Over the last few months, especially during the flu season, we were seeing up to 90 in a day at some points."
As a temporary fix, the hospital cleared out this medical storage room and made it into a patient room. It also sectioned off an area with curtains for other patients. Bee County recently approved a plan, however, that will allow the hospital to make some renovations.
As part of the renovation to the nursing department, they'll be knocking down a wall to the nurse station to allow easier access as well as more visibility to their patients. The hospital also plans to expand the waiting room, with more chairs and child-friendly games, and expand the patient rooms as well.
In its entirety, the project is set to cost $850,000 - $900,000. Spohn administrators hope this will lead to a more efficient and a safer ER by this time next year.
If you would like to follow Morgan Frances, "friend" her on Facebook or "follow" her on Twitter.
Video On Demand
Submit News
Do you have a tip, information about a breaking news story, or a story idea for 6 Investigates? Contact the KRIS 6 News Desk at 361-884-6666 or send us an email.
Most Popular
KRISTV.COM is Social!
Click the icons above to receive News, Weather, and Sports alerts from KRISTV.COM!
Inside KRISTV.COM
 |
Photo Central Look at photos and videos and share them! |
 |
Desktop Weather Current forecast, hurricane info, and much more! |
 |
KRISTV.COM Mobile Website Get KRISTV.com on your mobile or PDA! |
 |
KRISTV.COM Mobile Apps Get our mobile apps on your mobile or PDA! |
 |
Texas Lottery See the latest winning numbers! |
 |
6 News Team Read about your favorite KRIS-TV personalities! |
 |
FCC Online Public File FCC Public File of Records, Reports, and more |
Comments