Thanks to donor support, the Gasser Emergency Center renovations are well underway

The Queen of the Valley’s Gasser Emergency Center provides lifesaving care for more  than 30,000 patients annually. As a Level III trauma center, we treat everything from  cuts and bruises to strokes, heart attacks  and most traumas. 

When it came time to modernize our emergency department, the community  rallied to our aid. The successful culmination  of three separate fundraising campaigns  raised the combined $13 million necessary to upgrade, expand and renovate the Gasser Emergency Center. 

Pardon our dust 

The donor-funded improvement projects are well underway and will result in a fully renewed emergency department by early 2024. When completed, the new space will allow us to better manage growing patient volumes and levels of care, as well as the special needs of our aging population. Some highlights of the improvements include: 

Main emergency department renovation —The ER makeover includes gutting and renovating the rooms, nurses’ stations, and all public and private spaces. Aside from a complete facelift and modernization, the changes will substantially impact the workflow. 

“Thanks to tremendous donor support, we’re modernizing our workspace,” says Nicholas Lopez, M.D., emergency physician and emergency department medical director.  “The new construction is opening up the space to improve traffic flows and sightlines throughout the unit.”

The update will also make the space more accessible to seniors. “We’re proud to have earned the Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation,” says Dr. Lopez. “Our updates include accommodations such as easier  access to equipment and lower beds to assist older adults.” 

The Napa Valley Vintners Rapid Care Unit — Sometimes, patients with minor and non-lifethreatening emergencies must wait while we focus resources on more critically ill patients. Our new seven-bed micro unit will be staffed by dedicated physicians and caregivers who will treat and release less critical patients. We’ll also use the space for patients awaiting placement in senior assisted living centers, as well as vulnerable patients transitioning to mental health services.  

Barbara Winiarski Stroke and Diagnostic Center —The new Barbara Winiarski Stroke and Diagnostic Center, made possible by a generous gift from the Winiarski Family Foundation, will include a GE HealthCare Revolution Apex CT machine, the only one of its kind in our region. This advanced technology will improve diagnostic capabilities, and the new location, adjacent to the emergency department, will enable physicians to improve response times.

Together we’re caring for one another 

We can all be proud of our collaboration on behalf of this community. The newly  renovated emergency department will serve our families, neighbors and friends for years to come. “In this community, we care for one another,” says Terry Wooton, chief executive, Queen of the Valley Medical Center. 

“Our physicians and caregivers live and work here. We’re all invested in making sure the hospital has what it needs to best serve our patients. They are the reason we do this work. Thank you for your partnership and your philanthropic stewardship of the Queen.”