The centerpiece of the new John H. Welsh Building at Rumford Hospital is the first floor consolidated patient unit, bringing together the birthing center, medical/surgical beds and the intensive care unit.

A central nurses’ station serves the entire unit. When a patient needs intensive care, a nurse moves to a sub-nurses’ station directly outside the two ICU rooms to constantly monitor a patient’s condition. This station will accommodate two nurses when needed.

When a mother is in labor or recovery, a maternity nurse moves to a Birthing Center sub-station located just outside the two labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum rooms (LDRPs) where she can give one-on-one care.

The Birthing Center has the advantage of being very close to the elevators should a mother need a C-section delivery in the operating rooms on the ground floor. In addition to the two LDRPs, the Birthing Center contains a third room for postpartum mothers, should the LDRPs both be needed for labor and delivery. This room has doors to both the Birthing Center and the main corridor, so it may be used for overflow of acute care patients, as well.

At opposite ends of the new unit – furthest from the central nursing station – are the only two semi-private rooms. (All other rooms are private.) These rooms are thought to be ideal for swing bed patients – those who no longer need acute care, but who remain in the hospital to receive rehabilitative care aimed at preparing them to return to their homes with as close to the same skills and abilities they possessed before they were hospitalized. The semi-private rooms afford these patients, most of whom are feeling much better, the companionship of a roommate.

The solarium facing the helipad serves as a place where patients and their loved ones can relax, sit in the sun and enjoy the view. When the solarium at the front entrance was not in use as a busy waiting room – usually in mid to late afternoon – patients and families often enjoyed it. Now, their space is more private with easier access from patient rooms.

On the ground floor of the Welsh Building, the new, larger operating room will allow uninterrupted flow of equipment and personnel as well as accommodate large pieces of equipment.

A new Shipping and Receiving department with loading dock moves delivery trucks from the narrow access road between Swift River Health Care and the hospital to the very rear of the hospital, out of the way of normal traffic.

The wide hallway on the ground floor serves as an interior access to the Emergency Department from the helipad, eliminating the need to move patients around the hospital outdoors.

The consolidated patient unit contains:

16 private rooms

2 flex rooms (semi-private/may be used as private)

2 ICU rooms

2 Labor/Delivery/Recovery/Postpartum rooms

1 Postpartum room

Bathrooms and showers in every room

Year-round individual temperature controls in each room

Negative pressure room for isolation

Accommodations for families to stay overnight

State-of-the-art medical and information systems

Ground floor improvements are:

Replaces and enlarges one operating room

Relocates Pharmacy and Materials Services

New construction: 15,684 square feet

Renovate: 7,183 square feet

Total = 22,867 square feet

Total cost: $5,877,178.00

The Consolidated Patient Unit provides great benefits to patients including:

Patients have their own bathrooms.

Patients’ and caregivers’ access to vital information is enhanced by electronic medical records.

Patients enjoy the quiet of their private rooms.

Patients have individual temperature controls.

Patients are admitted quickly because of enhanced bed availability.

Patients are able to remain in the same room throughout their stay.

Loved ones are able to stay overnight with patients in private rooms.

www.rumfordhospital.org


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