Kaweah Delta emergency room lobby and registration temporarily moving during construction

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia wants people to know about a temporary change while construction continues on their expanded emergency department.

The department is nearly doubling in size, and when completed in 2020, will have 74 beds.

Starting on Thursday, the emergency department's waiting and registration area will be in the main hospital lobby, off of Mineral King Avenue.

Hospital officials say this is a temporary move, and expect to move back to the original location within four to six months.

"When you come in, you'll be greeted by our registered nurse who will start your process," said KDMC's Dan Allain. "And we'll go through the regular screening that we do as if you walked through the emergency department. Then, as you need blood draws or radiology studies and we move you back into the actual emergency department, you'll be escorted."

The future emergency waiting room will also double in size, with space for more than 100 people.