Carilion to build first two freestanding emergency departments

Carilion Clinic on Tuesday announced plans to open its first two freestanding emergency departments,  which will be located in Botetourt and Franklin counties.

The Roanoke-based health care system plans to break ground on both departments later this year — one in Smith Mountain Lake‘s Westlake area in Franklin and the other in Botetourt’s Daleville Town Center area.

The ERs will offer 24/7 emergency care for adults and children, including traditional exam rooms, advanced imaging, telemedicine options and laboratories. If higher-level care is required, the health system says it can transport patients quickly to the hospital of their choice, including Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital in Rocky Mount.

A Carilion spokesperson said it’s too early in the development process to give the cost of the development, the construction timeline, the number of staff to be hired and the exact size of both buildings. However, she added that the emergency departments should be operational within the next few years.

The health system is still in the planning stages and will share the exact location of the sites as details are finalized.

“We’re always looking to find the best ways to expand access to care for our communities,” said Wrenn Brendel, a Carilion vice president overseeing emergency services, in a statement. “The new facilities in Westlake and Daleville will make sure families can get the emergency care they need, close to home, without delay. The facilities will be designed with dedicated parking and easy walk-in access to emergency services for patients during critical moments.”

Carilion has more than 13,000 employees serving nearly 1 million patients through hospitals, outpatient specialty centers and primary care practices in an area spanning 20 counties, including the Roanoke and New River valleys.