NATCHEZ — Construction in the emergency room at Merit Health Natchez has been completed, expanding the emergency area’s patient rooms from 10 to 14 and adding a five-bay fast track area.

“With the completion of the emergency department, Merit Health Natchez is functioning strongly as our community’s sole hospital provider,” Merit Health Natchez Chief Executive Officer Eric Robinson said in a news release. “We want to especially thank our first responders whose flexibility and support were integral to ensuring patients continued to receive emergency care uninterrupted.”

State inspectors approved the construction, which was part of a $12 million hospital improvement project, Wednesday.

The renovations to the emergency department at Merit Health Natchez — formerly Natchez Regional Medical Center — were started in June in anticipation of the merger of the operations of the former Natchez Community Hospital with the main Merit Health facility, a consolidation that was completed last month.

In addition to adding rooms and the fast track area, the construction reconfigured waiting, registration, support services, triage and nurse station areas to improve workflow and efficiency in the department.

The fast track area allows patients who come to the emergency room with non-emergent cases — minor injuries and illnesses — to receive quick treatment from a nurse practitioner without having to enter the main flow of the emergency department.

“Although most people don’t want or expect to visit the emergency department, we hope to offer them a more pleasant experience in our improved space,” Emergency Room Director Dr. Keyna Whitney said. “In addition to a modern, pleasing environment, physicians, nurses and other caregivers will have access to more resources as they continue to deliver high quality care to patients.”

Merit Health Natchez’s parent company purchased the former Natchez Regional Medical Center and Natchez Community Hospital in 2014. In addition to the emergency room construction in advance of the consolidation, the hospital also renovated the labor and delivery area on the third floor and the long-unused fourth floor in the 179-bed hospital.