Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital plans to open its fourth Emergency and Imaging Center Jan. 24 at 8470 Hwy. 6 N. in Copperfield.

Hospital administrators selected the Copperfield area for a new location because of the large amount of residents—roughly 100,000 people—and distance from the main hospital, said Collin Lemaistre, chief operating officer at Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital.

"Being that distance from our [hospital], we thought it was a great opportunity to take emergency services out there to get more care in the area," he said.

The 24/7 emergency center will be equipped to handle patients with varying emergency needs, ranging from heart attack and stroke to ear infections and sprains. The center offers imaging services such as X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds. Appointments are not required, and patients are usually treated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The new facility provides an extension of the services available at Cy-Fair Medical Center Hospital, which also offers a 24-hour emergency department for adult and pediatric care.

"The great thing about us being able to do this is that we have resources and specialists at the hospital, so if you need something to be fixed beyond the emergency room, we can bring you here and take care of you with our specialists," Lemaistre said.

The new center is one of several the hospital has opened in the community in the past couple of years, and the response so far has been positive, Lemaistre said.

"When you're in an emergency situation, you want access to emergency care as soon as possible," he said. "It's all about convenience for the patient."