8 / Oct. 22 - Nov. 4, 2015
@TheSheridanSun
Almost Ready
ROSS ANDERSEN Oakville’s newly built, stateof-the-art hospital attracted thousands across the community to have a first-hand-view of the facility last weekend. Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital is the newest addition to Halton Healthcare, serving the communities of Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills. The 1.6 million-square-foot hospital has been five years in the making. “There is much more room in this hospital for expansion, as the communities around us expand,” said Hannah Kirk, patient care manager, in the emergency department. Three different tours were given in the hospital, showcasing every aspect of the hospital. “The emergency rooms are three times larger than in our current site,” said Alex Ped-
ersen, junior communications specialist. More than 10 years of planning has gone into the project. “The exciting and challenging part is opening one hospital and closing one on the same day,” said Pedersen. Oakville’s new hospital was built to accommodate the region’s aging population. The tour expected to bring in more than 3,000 visitors on Saturday. “All of the departments have worked together to make this tour the best it can be. We’ve been preparing for this tour since July,” said Pedersen. The hospital relies on 7,447 windows to provide light. Being economically friendly is important to the hospital’s values. Some of the features of the hospital include discreet nurse-patient clinical rooms. “The polarized doors leading to the room provide com-
photograph by ross andersen
State-of-the-art hospital opens doors to give visitors sneak peek
Visitors toured the new Oakville hospital last weekend and checked out departments including the Emergency Room, and its operating room for serious injuries. plete confidentiality between the nurse and patient. Liquid crystals line up and provide visual privacy for those in the room,” said Kirk. The rooms also provide sound privacy and cleanliness, because there are no curtains to clean. With the click of a switch, you regain vision in the room. “We designed this hospital with having patient care in mind, their experience here is important to the hospital’s success,” said, Sandy Saggar, chief
information officer. For those patients with family or visitors, the intensive care unit provides them with pullout beds, a kitchenette and showers. “Patients really appreciate having their family members with them, especially if they’re nervous,” said Barbara Parker, surgical daycare nurse. The hospital has a direct entrance from the emergency room connecting to the garage. This way, paramedics waste no time transporting
patients from the ambulance to the ER. Cleanliness is a key part of the hospital’s mission. There are 1,775 hand-sanitizing stations in place throughout the hospital to prevent the spread of bacteria. “Having new equipment and advanced technology, the patients experience will dramatically improve at the hospital,” said Kim McWilliam, an ICU intern. The doors to the hospital will open on Dec. 13.
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