St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood plans to remodel the triage area of its busy emergency department later this year so the staff can better serve patients and their families.

The $1.2 million project will include adding a triage room, giving the hospital two triage rooms in all; enlarging the triage rooms to allow space for in-room testing; and replacing curtains with walls and doors so patients can have more privacy.

One of the goals is to shorten the time that walk-in patients must wait before being seen by a physician or a physician assistant.

To support this project, the Franciscan Foundation has launched a $1.2 million capital campaign and is accepting donations from the public, businesses and other organizations. Gifts to the campaign will help raise the $750,000 required to activate a $500,000 “challenge grant” from a major donor. The capital campaign is co-chaired by brothers Toby Murray and Jamie Murray, who are Lakewood residents and local business leaders.

“Our emergency department receives nearly 50,000 patient visits every year, and we expect that it will become even busier over time,” says St. Clare Hospital President Kathy Bressler. “We need to provide our medical and nursing staff with the space they need to quickly provide the right care at the right time, while also ensuring that our patients are comfortable, safe and given as much privacy as possible within the clinical setting.”

St. Clare Hospital has the second-busiest emergency department among all five Franciscan Health System hospitals; only St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma treats more emergency patients.

For more information or to make a donation in support of St. Clare Hospital, contact the Franciscan Foundation at 253-428-8467 or email janetdeweese@FHShealth.org