Carroll Hospital broke ground on April 1 to renovate and modernize its emergency department -- a project that will transform emergency services and improve the experience for patients, visitors and care providers.

The $9.5 million renovation project will reconfigure the emergency department to add triage areas and ambulance spaces for a more efficient offloading space for patients, redesign the registration area and waiting room, enclose the drive-thru canopy to create a more secure behavioral health space, and modify the trauma bays.

The initiative aims to reduce waiting times and enhance patient comfort and privacy, as well as improve efficiency for care teams. It will take about two years to complete.