IDAHO FALLS – Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center hosted a beam signing event Thursday morning to celebrate the construction of a new free-standing emergency room.
Construction on the 10,820-square-foot building got underway this winter on the west side of Costco near the intersection of Lincoln Road and 25th East in Idaho Falls.
The $15 million project is slated for completion in early 2026 and will be a fully-equipped ER with 10 patient exam rooms and comprehensive lab and imaging services, including CT scans and X-rays. It will be operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a team of trained physicians on staff.
EIRMC CEO Betsy Hunsicker tells EastIdahoNews.com it will have all the amenities of the ER that’s connected to the hospital, with a few exceptions.
“The difference will be if you need to be admitted (to the hospital) or have surgery, you would come to the main campus for those services,” Hunsicker says.
The purpose of the standalone ER is to accommodate growth and provide easier access to emergency medical care in a location that’s more convenient for patients. It’s a concept that’s becoming increasingly common in other parts of the country.
This particular site was selected for the new ER because of its central location where growth is taking place.
“It’s a great way to get closer to home and take care of more people,” says Hunsicker.
Nathan Van Hoff, an emergency physician at EIRMC, says there is a high volume of people who visit the ER every month and this gives them an additional space to continue providing care.
Van Hoff says typical ER visits include everything from rolled ankles and head injuries to chest pain, strokes and trauma-related injuries. Care for all of these ailments will be available at this new building.
“Our (physicians) group is pretty excited to be a part of this,” Van Hoff says. “We’re excited to be in this part of the community and help where we can.”
Hunsicker praises the medical staff at EIRMC and she’s excited to see how this new facility will benefit the community.
“I’m proud of the work that we do and that we can bring that to more people and make it easier for them to access us,” she says.
EIRMC is one of two hospitals in Idaho Falls with a fully-staffed emergency room. Idaho Falls Community Hospital also has an ER.
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