Hospital boosters have raised $1 million for the project.

LEWISTON – St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center recently began admitting patients to its newly renovated Intensive Care Unit.

The first of two phases for the $1.6 million project includes complete redesign and construction of seven rooms and half of a new state-of-the-art nurses’ station. The hospital also rebuilt its intensive care pharmaceutical room where medications are dispensed.

The project’s second phase is already under way and is expected to be completed by fall, said community relations manager Sean Findlen. That phase will finish the nurses’ station and add six more renovated patient rooms.

Hospital officials decided to rehab the existing ICU – rather than build new somewhere else – due to its central location on the medical center’s second floor, which is convenient to cardiac catheterization, surgery and emergency services, Findlen said in a press release. Work started during the winter late in 2003.

In the early 1970s Dr. Bertrand A. Beliveau, for whom the center is named, toured with colleagues various ICUs throughout New England before designing St. Mary’s original unit, where he went on to work.

The new design improves the 30-year-old space with the addition of floor-to-ceiling windows in all the rooms and a floor layout that allows nurses to view patients from work stations. Equipment improvements include electronic heart and brain monitoring of all patients from the nurses’ station.

Hospital boosters have raised $1 million of the total project cost during their Commit to Care campaign and hope to raised an additional $600,000 over the next few weeks.

Lewiston resident Terry Samson, who serves as chairwoman of the fund-raising efforts, had a special interest in the project. Her husband, Gerry, has visited the unit several times because of health issues.

“Just the other day, we were trying to figure out how many times we’ve needed the ICU at St. Mary’s,” said Terry Samson. “The best guess we could come up with was at least 12 times in the last 10 years.”

The new ICU includes new private consultation areas and a pediatric suite that will allow parents and caregivers to stay overnight, Findlen said.

James Cassidy, president and CEO of Sisters of Charity Health Systems, said, “We’re exceptionally proud of the new St. Mary’s ICU. Such strong local support is testament to the generosity of our growing community.”

[email protected]