Less than three weeks after opening its doors as Maricopa’s first hospital, Exceptional Health Care has announced it will begin the Phase 2 addition and construction of the facility, located at the southwest end of the overpass.

In a statement, Exceptional said the “Fast Track” care option will be designed to help the Emergency Department at Maricopa’s community hospital reduce wait times and lighten the patient load in the triage area, while emphasizing the differences between non-acute and more urgent patient care needs.

“Although we have been open only a few weeks, we saw an opportunity to improve efficiency and care inside the Emergency Department,” said Saeed Mahboubi, Chief Executive Officer of Exceptional Health Care. “This will not only speed up the time it takes for patients to be treated, but also improve care times for our more critical patients.”

Maricopa City Manager Rick Horst was pleased but not surprised by the announcement.

“The city has known about the additional need for future expansion long before construction began and has worked cooperatively with Exceptional Health Care every step of the way to acquire the necessary land,” he said. “The only question that was unclear was the timing of the expansion, which has now arrived. It is encouraging to see administrators respond so quickly to meet a growing demand. The city has already entered into an agreement to build a second hospital and will continue exploring options to meet the needs of our rapidly expanding community.”

Patients with minor emergencies, such as Covid tests, small burns and lacerations, ear infections, cold and flu symptoms, sore throats, and sprains, will now be treated in the Fast Track area located inside the Emergency Department.

Bruce McVeigh, the Chief Operating Officer of Exceptional Health Care, recognized the need to have a fast-track process and brought together hospital administration, the medical director, nurses, techs, architects, and engineering to create an efficient and effective treatment area and plan. The Exceptional team quickly came up with designs for a seven-bay unit for the new Fast Track build out.

The original design of the hospital left open space in the building so the hospital could react to the specific needs of the community.

Mayor Christian Price applauded Exceptional for its foresight and being prepared for such a situation.

“I think it’s great, and it’s been part of their plan from the beginning,” Price said. “So, it’s great to know that they see what we see – that we are going to keep growing and they will literally be the first ones on the scene to help our citizens in a way that currently doesn’t exist. We are very excited that they will be here to operate in that space.”

One of the doctors working in the hospital said it was easy to determine the necessity for the expansion.

“The Fast Track addition is essential for our community hospital,” said Dr. Timothy Johns, an ER physician under contract with Exceptional Healthcare. “This structural triage area provides the appropriate path for patients who want to receive exceptional care and be discharged as quickly as possible.”

According to Exceptional Healthcare, Fast Track care facilities improve patient satisfaction and dramatically reduce patient wait times, which, during the current Covid crisis, helps ensure the health and safety of Exceptional patients and staff.

Exceptional Community Hospital – Maricopa is open around the clock providing emergency and in-patient care for Maricopa and neighboring communities. The hospital provides care for patients with a variety of conditions and accepts all insurance.

Exceptional is continuing to hire nurses, medical technologists, paramedics and health unit clerks for its Maricopa hospital.