Bristol Health celebrated the opening of its new, state-of-the-art Emergency Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 16, marking the completion of its 13,000 sq. ft. ER expansion. 

The Emergency Center will officially begin seeing patients in the new space on Monday, Dec. 20, at which time the existing Emergency Center will close. Renovation of the current space will then take place beginning next month. When complete, both areas will fit seamlessly together.

The total project is being completed in four phases.
• Phase 1 – 10 bed Behavioral health unit build out, completed in August 2019.

• Phase 2 – Newell Road regrading, completed Summer 2020.
• Phase 3 – 13,000 sq. ft. addition build, completion in Dec. 2021.
• Phase 4 – Renovation of current space projected completion in 2022

At its full completion, the Emergency Center will double in size to roughly 25,000 sq. ft. and feature 21 Private Rooms, 10 Behavioral Health Exam Rooms, 5 Pediatric Patient Rooms, 3 Semi-Private Exam Rooms, 3 Vertical Treatment Stations, 2 Patient Isolation Rooms, a Compassion Room, Cardiology Triage Room and a Trauma Room with 2 Bays. 

“Today is just an incredible day for us here at Bristol Health,” said Kurt A. Barwis, FACHE, president & CEO of Bristol Health. “It’s the community and being able to deliver extraordinary care when they need it that drives us each and every day. What we are celebrating here today is truly a response to patient needs; to be able to deliver that attentive care in a comfortable setting, one where physicians and patients have the space and technology to handle just about anything thrown their way.”

Barwis was joined in cutting the ribbon by local and state dignitaries (including Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz) as well as the Emergency Center Expansion project’s top donors.

“The pandemic exposed the critical need for our state’s residents to have access to quality health care when they need it most,” said Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz. “This new emergency center is a crucial investment in continuing to provide care to the greater Bristol community and beyond.”

In addition to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Bristol Health unveiled the name of the ER – the Brault Emergency Center, named after the project’s top donor. Nancy Brault, a long-time supporter of Bristol Health and owner of Ultimate Wireforms, Inc., gave $1.3 million to support the project. She said she wanted to give back to an organization that provides so many vital services to the community, as well as to her personally over time. Brault said both she and her children were born at Bristol Hospital and have received crucial emergency care throughout the years as well. 

“That’s when I really saw the passion that the employees here have – the physicians, the nurses, everyone,” said Brault. “They say it takes a village to raise a child. I believe it takes a community to build a hospital and keep it moving forward.” 

In total, the Bristol Hospital Foundation raised over $5.6 million in donations for the project. The remainder of the cost is financed via bonding through the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority.

The Emergency Center cares for over 40,000 patients each year.