Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais’ Emergency Department was designed in the wake of the 2010 earthquake, with a vision to revolutionize emergency medicine in Haiti. HUM’s Emergency Department introduced the country’s first and only emergency medicine (EM) residency program, bringing a triage-based model of care to Haitian hospitals. The need for this 4,500-square-foot and 15-bed Emergency Department has been greater than ever anticipated, such that the team now sees 14,000 patients each year.

As it became clear that the current demand was straining the design’s capacity, Build Health International and Zanmi Lasante agreed to redesign HUM’s emergency department to better fit the needs of the community. The new design doubles both the space and bed capacity, featuring larger and more flexible waiting rooms to seat patients and their families, who are often important partners in patients’ care. On the clinical design front, dedicated nurses’ stations have been added in each wing of the department, with improved sightlines from the nurse’s station to patients allowing for increased monitoring and patient safety, especially during periods of high patient volume. The new design also features larger storage areas to accommodate a greater number of reserve supplies, ensuring that the hospital can continue to provide care even during crises when supply chains may be impacted.

The original HUM Emergency Department proved that a different model of emergency care was possible in Haiti. Now, with expanded facilities and a more efficient design, Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais’ will continue to set new standards for emergency medicine in Haiti.