Recently, nearly 200 donors, legislators and media representatives toured our Emergency Department (ED) at Cooley Dickinson Hospital (“Cooley’s new ‘front door’ on display,” Gazette, June 7). Our long-awaited project, which is being completed in phases, expands the ED by 40%. It features new equipment, more private rooms and a floor plan designed with patients in mind. Earlier this year, we opened a dedicated space to provide a calm, healing environment for those needing mental and behavioral health support. Additional ambulance bays await our region’s EMS teams as they bring patients to our ED. The new addition opens in July and renovations in the existing ED continue through early 2026. Our ED is open throughout the project.

A hospital’s ED is its front door. I began my career as a paramedic before becoming an ED nurse. Emergency departments are where nurses, doctors, advanced practice providers, techs, registration staff, and laboratory and imaging professionals collaborate to triage, stabilize, and treat those who need our care. The CDH leadership team and I are proud of the work that has been accomplished to expand the ED, and we are extremely grateful to those who work in this space. Providing a state-of-the-art space for our clinical teams to care for patients who deserve the best possible experience isn’t just our passion, it’s our duty. Thank you to all who walked through our new front door. If you need us, it will be our pleasure to serve you with exceptional and compassionate care.

Kevin Whitney, DNP, RN, EMT-P, president and chief operating officer, Cooley Dickinson Hospital

Southampton