What’s New & Next at WakeMed North Hospital This Fall

While it’s been a unique and challenging year for all of us as we continue to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, the good news is that we’re seeing very few patients with severe cases and for those we do see, advances and discoveries in treatment have come a long way since the spring.

As always, the health and safety of our patients and front-line health care workers remains a top priority as we navigate the new normal we’re facing. We continue to be fully prepared to care for patients with and without COVID-19. Whether you are welcoming a new baby to the family, need to have surgery, seek emergency care, or need simple outpatient services such as lab or imaging studies – our teams have put great effort into ensuring you can get the care you need safely and conveniently. Learn more about our commitment to your safety by visiting our website here.

Even amidst a global pandemic, WakeMed North Hospital has continued to expand to meet the immense population growth we’re seeing in the Northern Wake County area and throughout the region. In response, we’ve been moving full speed ahead to add the specialized services needed to care for the highly complex patients who turn to us for care each and every day.

From the expansion of our emergency department to the introduction of highly specialized neurology services to new, state-of-the-art options for robotic surgery, WakeMed North Hospital is here to meet the health care needs of and your families.

Here’s an overview of what’s new and next for WakeMed North Hospital:

Expanded Emergency Department to Open This Month

In November, our emergency department will open a new 6-bed treatment area that will allow us to serve more patients than ever. The new C-bay treatment area brings our emergency department from 19 beds to 25 beds, and will help us reduce wait times – particularly for patients with minor illnesses and injuries.

The expansion of our emergency department means we will be able to enhance the patient experience and streamline care for patients with all kinds of injuries and illnesses – from the most acute cases requiring the highest level of care to those with more minor illnesses and injuries such as broken bones and the like.

Welcome, Robots!

This year, WakeMed North Hospital has significantly expanded its suite of highly-advanced, robotic technology for minimally-invasive procedures in a wide variety of specialties.

From the Mazor X Stealth for spine surgeries to the da Vinci XI that’s used for a wide variety of surgical specialties, these state-of-the-art robots are operated by some of the most talented, board-certified surgeons in the Triangle – and help enhance precision, reduce recovery time and make smaller incisions.

MRI Services Expansion

We’re pleased to announce that MRI services have expanded from 3 days per week to 6 days per week. This change will allow us to better serve our emergency room and hospital patients, and also improves access for patients who need an outpatient MRI. Offering this service on additional days (particularly Saturday hours) provides greater flexibility and convenience for our community.

Faster, More Comprehensive Care for Stroke & General Neurology Patients

This month, North Hospital is pleased to announce the introduction of comprehensive stroke services aimed at helping both our emergency department and hospital patients get access to the neurological care they need as quickly as possible.

First, a new teleneurology program allows three fellowship-trained vascular neurologists to virtually consult and round daily on hospital patients with any general neurological problems – ranging from headaches to dementia to meningitis. This allows our hospitalist and eICU physicians to partner with highly-trained experts in neurology for real-time evaluation and consultation.

Secondly, a new telestroke program will provide our emergency department patients with 24/7 access to almost immediate neurological evaluation and consultation. Stroke patients will undergo neurological evaluation within 10 minutes of their arrival – which will help with the clinical decision-making needed to get stroke patients the interventions they need as quickly as possible. With the addition of these programs, patients at North Hospital will now have access to electroencephalogram (EEG) testing.

An EEG is one of several tests used to monitor the brain following any change in neurological status. When it comes to stroke, time is brain, so this ability to speed up the evaluation and diagnosis processes means stroke patients will inevitably have better outcomes.

The addition of these comprehensive neurology services is yet another example of how North Hospital is expanding its offerings and growing to meet the needs of our community, explains Tom Gough, Senior Vice President & Administrator, North & Cary Hospitals. Over the past 2-3 years, we’ve added dozens of new services, program and providers that are allowing us to keep patients here at North Hospital for all their healthcare needs. As part of a rapidly-growing region of the county, we’re committed to continuing to enhance the level of care and services we can provide right here in North Raleigh.