Healthcare Design
The Growing Role of Freestanding Emergency Departments
HCA Yulee Freestanding Emergency Department
When an emergency happens, proximity to fast, high-quality care is critical. Freestanding Emergency Departments, or FSEDs, provide full-service emergency care closer to the communities that need it, extending a health system’s reach beyond the hospital campus.
Critical Care Closer to Home
“Freestanding EDs are a huge benefit to communities,” says Zach Parrott, Associate Principal at TMP. “They’re more convenient, closer to residential homes, and can alleviate the overcrowding that might come with a traditional hospital environment.”
FSEDs are often located within communities where the nearest hospital might require travel or in high-traffic areas where hospital EDs could become congested. But a smaller footprint doesn’t mean a smaller level of care. These facilities are equipped with the same capabilities as a traditional ED, and can include exam rooms, trauma rooms, isolation rooms, CT scanners, X-ray, and lab services.
Lutheran Downtown Hospital Stellhorn Emergency Room
HCA Wellen Park Freestanding Emergency Department
Lutheran Downtown Hospital Stellhorn Emergency Room
A Prototype Designed to Adapt
TMP has designed more than 15 FSEDs for clients including Universal Health Services (UHS), HCA, CHS, and more. The challenge remains the same: create a streamlined facility without compromising care, safety, or efficiency.
“FSEDs are smaller than traditional EDs in terms of patient capacity, but they still provide the same level of care as larger hospitals,” Parrott says. “Some also include specialty components like behavioral health spaces, which may not be available in a traditional ED.”
Just like hospital-based EDs, designs require clear wayfinding for patients and staff, efficient clinical operations, staff visibility, patient privacy, and access to imaging and support areas. Many are developed from a prototype, which creates a strong starting point but allows the design to adjust depending on client needs and the patient population.
“We created several prototypes for our UHS FSEDs. They work on a variety of site locations, and the number of exam rooms can be adjusted depending on the community it serves,” says Parrott. “In one instance, we developed a more linear prototype that allowed site selection to include challenging, narrow properties that didn’t fit the standard prototype model.”
That flexibility is essential. As communities change and grow, the building, technology, and services need to evolve with it. A successful prototype isn’t a one-size-fits-all, but a responsive framework that is constantly being revaluated by teams of clinical experts.
Before the design even starts, TMP supports our clients with site planning and research, geotechnical conditions, and zoning requirements that could affect the project or budget.
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UHS Martintown Freestanding Emergency Room
Connections to a Larger System
In addition to serving the local community, FSEDs also support a health system’s larger growth strategy.
“Some patients who come to an FSED will need to be evaluated and stabilized but then transferred to an acute-care hospital when additional care is needed,” Parrott says. “The FSED is a spoke to the main hospital, helping strengthen the system.”
For health systems, the opportunity is about placing care where it can have the greatest impact, creating a recognizable point of access, and planning for long-term needs. The future of emergency care isn’t defined only by what happens inside a hospital. It’s shaped by how thoughtful facilities can meet people where they are.