Original Article posted at: CBS News

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – The new Parkland Hospital rises 17 stories above the center of Dallas’ Medical District. Dallas county voters overwhelmingly approved the new county hospital, which came with a $1.2 billion price tag. But the price is worth it, according to supporters of the new hospital.
“We want to become the hospital of choice — not the hospital of last resort, which is sort of the reputation that Parkland has,” said Senior Vice President Lou Saksen, who was tasked with building the new Parkland. The hospital will rival any facility in the nation, according to Saksen. He acknowledges the hospital’s past quality failures and insists that the new building is a big part of the solution.
The emergency room is more than quadruple the size of the old one. Ten trauma examining rooms are private and fully equipped.
“They have all of the capabilities of any of the operating rooms,” said Saksen. “They have radiology, the emergency department has it’s own CT scanner.”
The most critically injured patients will land by CareFlite on the helipad and from here, it’s 32 seconds to the treatment room. Trauma care will commence en route on a custom designed elevator called “The Megavator…”

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