Hospital workers mark building's 30th birthday by celebrating another phase of growth -- construction of a new emergency room

If you’re older than 30 and a Santa Fe native, chances are good you were born at St. Vincent Regional Medical Center when it was half the size it is now.

The old hospital was located on Palace Avenue and Paseo de Peralta from 1953 to 1977. The Sisters of Charity operated the hospital until 1973, when it became a community-owned, nonprofit facility.

It might be hard to conceive that 30 years have passed since the new, $20 million hospital opened on St. Michael’s Drive.

Now, the hospital is besieged by the chaos of construction, marking another phase of the hospital’s growth.

On Monday, hospital workers recalled the past and heralded the future by signing a steel girder. The girder will become part of the hospital’s Emergency Department, which is under construction.

Hospital workers took a tour of the emerging facility, while enjoying refreshments.

The $12 million emergency room is expected to be finished in January, with the hope that more patient rooms will result in shorter wait times for patients. Another important aspect of the design is treatment and waiting room created specifically for children.

St. Vincent runs the only Level III trauma center in Northern New Mexico. Emergency room staff serve as many as 60,000 patients a year.

Last year, the American College of Emergency Physicians ranked New Mexico 43rd in the country for its emergency-care system. Problems included overcrowding and long wait times, which are exacerbated by the state’s high percentage of uninsured residents and the state’s lack of nurses.

Contact Diana Del Mauro at 986-3066 or dianadm@sfnewmexican.com.