(To view the complete walkthrough of the ER, scroll to the bottom of the page)

Dr. Kannappan Krishnaswamy, Dr. K to many of his patients, opened Sealy Urgent Care in 1999 at the 5th Street location across from the Sealy Immaculate Catholic Church.  Then in 2008 he moved his practice to their current site at 1036 N. Circle Drive and opened Sealy Urgent Care.  Now the next step is opening a fully functioning free standing Emergency Room.  Krishna and his staff will be able to handle anything from the common cold to critical trauma cases. The ER will be staffed by board certified physicians and nurses who are trained for the ER.

“We looked at the need for the community they were having to travel at least 25 miles to reach the nearest Emergency Room, in the I-10 corridor from Katy to Columbus there is no emergency help,” stated Krishna, “for travelers it is nearly 50 miles straight and there is a void of any emergency help.”   Basically the community will be self-sufficient in area of emergency care.  In house CAT scan and ultrasound will be available for both the ER and routine scans.

This is a service that will be provided to the community, and local citizens can make appointments to have scans and ultrasounds done for their private physicians.  “If your doctor is located in Houston and you have a prescription for a scan you can have it done here instead of traveling into Katy or Houston,” stated Dennis Holder.  Holder is the builder of the ER.

Austin County Buy And Sell Facebook Business Directory SEOCurrently Sealy Urgent Care employees twenty plus when the ER is added it will add more jobs for the area.  “Currently we have 20 people on staff when the ER comes we will have 60 to 75,” stated Krishna.  The ER will have the ability to keep patients for 24 hours.  “For example if a cardiac patient comes in we will be able to keep them to monitor them for 24 hours, before we send them home.  It is the same with an Asthma patient.  If they need to be monitored they will be able to stay here,” said Krishna.

The building is currently in the demolition stage preparing it for the new construction.  “We are preparing it to add a new entrance for the Ambulance and the new area for the ER,” stated Holder. He went on to explain “there will be a door for the imaging patients as well.”

The name of the facility will be changing, it will become Sealy Medical Clinic and Sealy ER.  The hours of the clinic will change some but the ER will be open 24 hours a day.  Currently they offer specialty care to patients in the area who need it.  “Doctors from Katy come to the clinic certain days of the week to see their patients in this area,” said Krishna.

Holder stated, “This offers a great service to the patients in the area.  They do not have to drive all the way into Katy to see their specialty care physician.”  Specialty care offered at the clinic includes Cardiology, Nephrology and Orthopedic are among those offered.  This will expand when the ER is opened and the new equipment is brought in.

Construction on the facility will begin this week and should be completed by the first of the year.  “Once the facility is complete there is a process where the state comes in.  The State Health Services Board will come in to inspect the facility after everything is in place and make sure the ER is ready to service patients,” said Holder.

“They will make sure the staff is ready and have all the supplies they need to open, once that is done they will certify the ER,” said Krishna.  “Hopefully this is done by the first of the year.”

The ER and clinic will have state of the art new equipment.  “Instead of having the old x-ray machine we will hav M.e what is called a c-arm that will allow the patient to receive x-rays without having to move onto a table or in front of the machine.  This will make it easier for patients, “said Krishna.

Krishna has been in touch with the local EMS stations in Austin County and surrounding areas.  They have invited Austin County Emergency Services (ACEMS) to come and view the plans and make any suggestions they wish to make.  The ER will have one major trauma room and five examination rooms.

The Clinic will continue to be open for business while the new construction takes place.