Every day, Erie County Medical Center healthcare workers save lives. Now, a $55 million project is allowing providers to do their very best work.

"ECMC is obviously such an important institution. We need our hospitals and healthcare workers, but at a time like this, it's even more obvious," said Elizabeth Gurney, KeyBank Corporate Philanthropy Director.

This weekend, Erie County Medical Center is celebrating the opening of a new KeyBank Trauma and Emergency Department. 

"The new facility is really advantageous for a number of reasons. The entryway for patients and for patients coming in by ambulance is separated and a much better space for patients when they first encounter our staff," said Michael Manka, ECMC Emergency Medicine Chief. 

This department will have state-of-the-art equipment and will be double the size of the existing 40-year-old facility. 

"Today's ribbon-cutting is a culmination of ten years worth of work here at the hospital to create what we think will be a spectacular facility to allow our providers the same type of physical space with the service that they provide the citizens of Western New York," said Jonathan Dandes, ECMC Board. 

"As WNY region's #1 trauma center, ECMC's new ER will allow more patients to receive critical treatment faster and more efficiently. I'd like to congratulate the entire construction and development team, as well as the entire hospital staff."

Healthcare workers say this new facility is needed with ECMC’s Trauma and Emergency Department now seeing about 70,000 patients a year. The new department is designed to aid healthcare workers in the most efficient way possible. They believe that the new trauma and emergency department is a game-changer when it comes to people's health.