Health focused: Hospital continues to grow, expand

Mary Lynne Wright (Contributed)

Written by Mary Lynne Wright, President, Madison Hospital

These are exciting times in our community with growth and change in every direction. The same is true at Madison Hospital from the standpoint of more facilities, new physicians and enhanced services. We hit the ground running about 3.5 years ago, and – thanks to your support – we have much to celebrate.

To accommodate the extraordinary number of patients seeking treatment in our Emergency Department, the number of treatment rooms has nearly doubled – from 12 rooms when the hospital opened to 20 rooms. This year, the ED is on track to treat about 42,500 patients.

Our first baby was born June 6, 2012. Since then, the number of infant deliveries has increased by 94 percent. Huntsville Hospital Foundation and our Women’s Council recently hosted “Party in the Park” to help fund the construction of a new labor/delivery/recovery room. Safety, comfort and privacy are the hallmarks of our maternity program.

We recently welcomed a second cardiologist to the Heart Center’s Madison location in Madison Medical I. This enables one cardiologist to provide care for hospitalized patients while the other physician treats patients in clinic. To accommodate increasing Cardiology patient volume, Imaging Department shell space is being converted into echocardiogram and stress testing rooms. Six individual treatment areas are also being added to prepare patients for cardiac imaging procedures.

Our Breast Center in the Progress Bank Building averages more than 500 mammograms monthly and recently added the only clinically superior 3D mammography technology approved by the FDA. We are grateful for generous sponsors and more than 6,600 runners in Huntsville Hospital Foundation’s Liz Hurley Ribbon Run, who helped provide funds to purchase what our Breast Radiologists feel is the best technology available.