Medical facility expands – ‘We have outgrown the space’

An Iowa Quad Cities medical emergency care department just got a lot more room. The expansion will mean patients will have shorter ER wait times and receive better service while medical professionals will gain more space and facilities to help patients. Those are the views of MercyOne Genesis doctors and staff who helped welcome a […]

An Iowa Quad Cities medical emergency care department just got a lot more room. The expansion will mean patients will have shorter ER wait times and receive better service while medical professionals will gain more space and facilities to help patients. Those are the views of MercyOne Genesis doctors and staff who helped welcome a new 2,200-square-foot expansion of MercyOne Genesis Bettendorf Emergency Care, during a brief ceremony Monday morning, March 31.

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The emergency department, located at 2140 53rd Ave., is part of the Bettendorf HealthPlex. The HealthPlex also houses family medicine and pediatric providers, lab services, and the Genesis Imaging Center. The expansion project, which was nearly a $1 million investment, added six exam rooms – bringing the total to 15. The other additions include another procedure room, a four-seat nurses’ station, two provider offices and two supply storage areas.  The project began last July and was recently completed, according to MercyOne Eastern Iowa Division President Jordan Voigt. “When we opened the Bettendorf Emergency Department in 2022, we anticipated around 10,000 annual patient visits. The volume has exploded to about 13,000 annual (emergency care) visits in the last two years, and we have outgrown the space. About 1,100 of those patients were transferred to MercyOne Genesis Davenport for a higher level of care,” Mr. Voigt said during the celebration.  That ceremony, which attracted about 30 people from the MercyOne Genesis and business communities,  included a ribbon-cutting ceremony; a blessing by Jim Hogg, MercyOne Genesis Spiritual Care manager; and a brief tour of the expanded area. “The expansion allows our team more flexibility, especially during peak times. Late afternoon and early evening are the peak times for patients seeking care at MercyOne Genesis Bettendorf Emergency Department, and we want to be here to meet the community’s needs,” Mr. Voigt added. During the facility tours, Dr. Michael Craddick, MercyOne Genesis Emergency Department medical director, helped show the additional exam rooms and procedural room.  He added that one of the new rooms will be converted into an extra triage space to better serve patients during those busy peak times when many people are using the department. “We see many people from the surrounding Quad Cities … People like the services we provide,” he added. Several people praised Dr. Craddick for his role in making the expansion project a reality. “His leadership and clinical expertise in designing the MercyOne Genesis Bettendorf Emergency Department was crucial to the project’s success,” said Mr. Voigt. Even though several medical leaders and staff took part in Monday's ceremony, the emergency care department was still open for business. During the ribbon-cutting and tours, several patients came through the front doors looking for medical services.  Several leaders said those patients using the department are another example of the MercyOne Genesis facility meeting the community’s needs.