By Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
The transfer of 626 patients from the old Parkland facility to the new Parkland Memorial Hospital located at 5200 Harry Hines Blvd. was a modern-day medical miracle. The administrators and staff of Parkland completed the task safely and efficiently without incident or interruption in patient care. I applaud them for their continued demonstration of excellence as healthcare providers, and as people concerned about the well-being of others.
The patient transfer began at 7 a.m. on the morning of August 20th and was completed by 8 p.m. that evening, a full day ahead of schedule. New patients continued to be admitted and treated in the new hospital. The move would not have been possible if Parkland had not prudently planned it and prepared its staff for every possible contingency that could have arisen.
Comprehensive planning for the move began more than a year before it took place. In July of this year, Parkland’s administrators and employees performed a full-scale simulation exercise. Volunteers from the community played the roles of patients. Prior to that time, mock drills were conducted and refined. Every detail was considered.
On the day of the move, each patient was accompanied by a group of healthcare professionals who made certain that there were no lapses in necessary and vital medical care as they traveled across the Mike Myers Sky Bridge that connects the old and new facilities.
The Rees-Jones Trauma Center, the Emergency Department, the Urgent Care Emergency Department, and the Labor & Delivery services were available for patients in the new facility beginning on August 20. In fact, the first new baby was delivered on the morning of the move.
Parkland, one of the largest public hospitals in the United States, serves approximately one million patients each year. The new 2.1 million square foot facility includes 862 private patient rooms, and will continue to serve residents of Dallas County with standards of excellence. Residents of Dallas County and North Texas have access to a world-class public medical facility that is dedicated to their well-being.
I am very proud to have played a role in helping to bring about the new Parkland for residents of the Dallas area who deserve the very best healthcare treatment in a state of the art medical facility. We all should take pride in the New Parkland, a medical jewel in the heart of District 30.
