Baylor Medical Center at Frisco on July 31 opened its newly expanded emergency department on the east side of the main hospital campus.

The new addition combines the formerly separate urgent care and emergency facilities and triples the size of the hospital's emergency space to more than 9,000 square feet.

Hospital CEO Bill Keaton said combining the two departments means significantly shorter waiting time and quicker service for patients. Emergency staff will now work in one location instead of making trips between departments on different sides of the hospital.

"We've gotten to where we are busy enough that it has become a problem," Keaton said. "We decided to relocate it in one area and build one that was bigger than both of the separate areas together."

The new addition was constructed in front of the old emergency department, which should lessen the confusion for patients accustomed to the old entrance, Keaton said. New signs have been placed accordingly.

The expanded department includes nine private exam rooms, a triage room, X-ray room and updated equipment. It is connected to the main portion of the hospital for easy access.

This is the first update to the emergency room since the hospital opened in 2002. During that time, Frisco's population has grown by 85,500 people.

"One of the pretenses of building this hospital was that we would grow as the community has grown," Keaton said. "We started with 13 beds and four operating rooms; now we're 68 beds and 14 operating rooms, a new emergency room, and labor and delivery. Coming up on our 11th year, we've grown in proportion with the community."

The hospital serves patients from Frisco, Plano, Little Elm, Prosper and newer communities south of Highway 380.

Baylor Medical Center at Frisco will continue to operate its Urgent Care Center—Sports Village, inside Fieldhouse USA at 6155 Sports Village Road in Frisco.