MCV Hospitals, founded in 1838, is one of the nation's premier academic medical centers and is the fourth largest university affiliated institution for the health sciences in the United States.

A proven leader in treatment and research, MCVH was recently named on of the nation's "Top 100 Hospitals" by HCIA/Mercer. MCV Hospitals is also ranked as one of the best in the nation by Gale Research and many of its clinical departments received recognition by U.S. News and World Report as among the best in the country. In 2006, MCV Hospitals was awarded the prestigious "magnet status" for nursing.

The entire ground floor of the Main Hospital is occupied by the Department of Emergency Medicine. The Adult Department contains 42 beds while the adjacent pediatric emergency department (seeing approximately 18,000 patients each year) contains 13 beds.

An Adult Fast Track area of 15 beds operates 10 hours per day and is devoted to the care of adults with minor illnesses or injuries.

The Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) is a 10 bed unit that allows for the continued diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic intervention and observation of patients not requiring immediate admission to the hospital.

New facilities for the Virginia Poison Center are located just a few blocks away on Broad Street. The remainder of the ground floor consists of Emergency Medicine faculty, administrative offices, and conference rooms.

New Developments

Construction has now begun on a renovation and enlargement of the Emergency Department. This renovation will expand the existing ED into the newly opened Critical Care Hospital and will expand the ED to a total of 100 beds. The number of beds in each of the clinical areas will be increased and areas devoted to resuscitation, critical care and psychiatric patients developed. The new ED will contain two CT scanners and have enhanced radiologic capabilities. This construction should be completed by 2012.