Allegheny General Hospital begins an ER makeover

The Allegheny General Hospital emergency department has gained a bit of newfound fame due to “The Pitt,” and now an ambitious renovation project is in the works.

The Allegheny Health Network is undertaking a $43 million initiative to modernize the emergency department of Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. The hospital has been seen in "The Pitt."

The Allegheny Health Network is planning a $43 million initiative to modernize the Pittsburgh hospital’s emergency department.

The project, which will take place in multiple phases, is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

Allegheny General operates a Level 1 trauma center, and the hospital treats more than 40,000 patients annually. Some scenes of “The Pitt”, the hit HBO Max series, were filmed in the hospital and emergency department staff have advised the show’s producers to ensure authenticity.

Imran Qadeer, MD, president of Allegheny General, said the revamped emergency department will allow the hospital to provide better care.

"At AGH, we are committed to providing exceptional care and services for every emergency health need, and this new facility will greatly expand our capacity to do so,” Qadeer said in a statement. “It will be a facility that better accommodates the growing demand for emergency services and empowers one of the best emergency medicine teams in the country to excel in meeting that demand.”

The network says the emergency department work is part of a broader plan to transform the hospital campus over the next 10 years. Allegheny General was established in 1886.

The new emergency department is going to have 57 treatment rooms, including 48 patient beds. The hospital says the new rooms will be designed to improve patient safety and efficiency, with glass enclosures aiding visibility.

Allegheny says the first phase should be completed this fall. In the initial phase, the emergency department will get a new waiting area and triage space, and a new space for patients who are waiting to get the results of medical tests.

Bobby Kapur, MD, chair of emergency medicine at the Allegheny Health Network, says the goal is to reduce the wait time for patients.

"A critical component of the AGH emergency department redesign is improving efficiency so we can provide better, faster care to more patients," Kapur said in a statement. "This enhanced capability allows us to better serve our community, accept more critical transfers from other area hospitals and ensure those needing the most advanced care promptly receive it."

The health system says the project calls for a new, central security station staffed by Highmark Health police. The work also calls for a different entrance to the emergency room to allow for more visibility of those entering the department.

Other elements of the project call for expanding trauma rooms, with six, larger trauma bays. A new lounge is also in the plans for clinicians and staff.