PAGE 22
January, 2013
Hospital Newspaper - NJ
Saint Peter’s launches 2-plus-year-long project to expand, modernize emergency department Pediatrics area one of largest in N.J. include a redesigned visitors’ area, a new area for walk-in patients, and a new and expanded entrance for ambulances that will also increase ambulance parking. The first stage of the project is targeted for completion in the early part of 2013. Phase 2 This portion of the project will be devoted to the completion of pediatric and adult “fast-track” rooms. Phase 2 will also create additional treatment beds.
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Saint Peter’s University Hospital has launched a two-and-half-yearlong building project to enlarge its emergency department and expand emergency services. When completed the emergency department will feature one of the largest pediatrics emergency department in New Jersey, special treatment bays for women’s health, acute care and rapid-treatment patients, a geriatricfriendly design, and a redesigned entranceway for ambulances, among numerous significant enhancements.
“When completed, the Saint Peter’s emergency department will have grown in size from its current 18,000 square feet to approximately 29,000 square feet,” said Michael Hochberg, M.D., chairman, department of emergency medicine, Saint Peter’s Healthcare System. “The new emergency department will be large enough to easily treat 70,000 to 75,000 patients a year. This means that the new, larger ED will be big enough to meet the needs of the hospital – and its surrounding community – for many years to come.”
Work will be completed in five separate stages and no service will be disrupted at any time, Hochberg said, noting that as each stage is completed those newly designed areas will be open and operational immediately. Construction will proceed as follows: Phase 1 Saint Peter’s will construct a new and expanded pediatrics emergency department as well as a new front entrance for the emergency department. The new front entrance will
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Phases 3, 4 and 5 Each of these stages will expand and enhance the main ED. Key improvements are: - Additional treatment space will be added in each phase of operations. - The renovations will create three treatment “pods,” each of which will focus on separate treatment areas: acute care: women’s health, and rapid-treat patients. The acute-care bay will be designed to treat emergency situations such as heart attack and stroke. The women’s health pod will respond to conditions such as early pregnancy complications and OB/GYN emergencies. The rapid treatment section will provide accelerated services such as IV fluids and brief imaging, enabling patients to return home quickly and safely. The new ED will hold 56 beds the vast majority of those four-wall private rooms. A small number of others – so-called “curtained rooms” – will be in the fast-track area.
What are some of the special features and advantages of the new ED? - The pediatrics ED, one of the largest in N.J., will feature 14 beds plus minor care. - The entire emergency department – from equipment to flooring – will be brand-new. - The emergency department will be “geriatric friendly,” meaning it will feature softer lighting, softer colors, less noise, more comfortable mattresses, and easier to use beds, and the entire layout and design will feature greater accessibility for older patients. - The floor plan will enhance the process of more rapid and efficient patient care. What are some of the other key takeaways? - Planning and design of the emergency department was in the works for two years. - No treatment space will be lost during any phase of the construction process. - Patient care will remain unaffected throughout each stage of construction. - Construction walls – or “noiselimiting walls”- will hide work from patients. As a result, the transition to a new emergency department will appear seamless to patients. For more information about Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, please visit www.saintpetershcs.com or call 732-745-8600.