To meet the community’s quickly growing needs, Huntington Hospital was looking to significantly increase its emergency department (ED) treatment capacity while improving efficiency and patient outcomes. Huntington’s existing ED needed to remain operational during construction, therefore phasing was carefully planned to maximize throughput, minimize disruption to ED operations and ensure no negative impact on the patient experience. One of 21 community-based hospitals in the Northwell Health network, Huntington Hospital’s expanded ED now has double the space of its original ED and has greatly improved the flow of patients, visitors, and staff into and through the unit.

The 28,000 sf facility utilizes a split-flow, “Super Track” model — filtering the patient volume into two treatment areas: acute care and lower-acuity care to more effectively manage patient wait-times and reduce their length of stay. Separate, dedicated spaces are provided for three distinct populations, all of which arrive via different circulation paths: walk-in vertical patients, walk-in horizontal patients, and ambulance patients.

The new ED is strategically placed to connect with the existing hospital on the first-floor level, close to the radiology department and lab services, and with many other key program adjacencies that will facilitate future expansion. With a simple profile and form, the ED visually anchors the existing hospital building and creates a new reference point for the campus. In addition to providing a new entrance, it constitutes a link with the original hospital pavilion by flanking the current main entry drop-off. Large corner windows provide natural light and scenic views.

The building has two separate covered drop-offs, one for patients and one for emergency vehicles from View Acre Drive. The building design acts as clear visual guide for visitors, presenting an open and inviting entry while tucking the emergency vehicle entry around the corner and out of site. A new physician’s entry is located adjacent to the physician’s parking lot under the new ED.

The interior design continues the vocabulary of the glass entry inside to the public waiting areas. These spaces will have will receive ample amounts of natural light from exterior windows, while within the ED a linear skylight runs the length of the department to give a connection to the outside.