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SALEM – Salem Regional Medical Center announced the launch of its newest facility renovation project Thursday, designed to address the region’s growing need for expanded outpatient care and endoscopy services.
“SRMC’s endoscopy expansion project is part of our strategic plan to address the region’s increased demand for more convenient access to advanced diagnostics and outpatient treatment,” Anita A. Hackstedde, M.D., SRMC President/CEO said. “Many area residents look to SRMC for these services and our endoscopy procedure volumes have shown a dramatic 31 percent increase over the past seven years. This expansion project is designed with the unique needs of our patients in mind, and will allow us to increase our patient capacity, improve our patients’ comfort and privacy, and enhance our staff’s work flow and efficiencies.”
Features of the New Unit
In 2015, SRMC’s endoscopy staff and physicians provided personalized care to 5,125 patients seeking endoscopy services. The hospital’s current 5,700-square-foot endoscopy unit has three procedure rooms and 10 pre-/post-operative beds located in shared rooms, which were originally designed to care for a smaller number of patients. At 11,600 square feet, the newly expanded endoscopy treatment center will double the size of the current facility, which will be better suited to meet patient care needs, and a fourth procedure room will be added to improve patient access.
SRMC’s expanded endoscopy unit will be located on the ground floor, in its current space, and will also expand into the space vacated by the outpatient procedures unit which was relocated as part of the recent oncology, orthopaedics and outpatient procedures expansion last fall.
Features of the new endoscopy expansion project will include: four procedure rooms; and 16 private pre-/post-operative bays, with a private restroom for each bay.
In addition, the Outpatient Registration Department will be relocated into a larger and more functional space next to the expanded endoscopy unit, to enhance patient privacy and convenience.
At a cost of $6.296 million, the overall expansion project will also include updating the flooring and walls of the main corridor that runs from the main lobby to the outpatient lab and the hallway that connects the Emergency Department with the Surgery Center.
“This expansion project will enable SRMC to continue to move forward in our new era of service delivery, as well as provide innovative approaches to patient care,” Dr. Hackstedde added. “Our new treatment areas are being designed as a state-of-the-art facility, and will be equipped with the latest technology to enhance patient care, while creating a safe and comfortable environment that encourages family involvement.”
Project Timeframe
The project will begin in mid-April and the first steps in preparing for the expansion will involve temporarily relocating Outpatient Registration to the Volunteer Services Center on the ground floor, to make room for the renovations to begin. The first phase will then start in the vacated outpatient area, and the second phase will involve renovations to the current endoscopy suite space.
“Providing high quality care and services for our patients is at the forefront of everything we do,” Dr. Hackstedde said. “Our Board of Directors chose to lead this initiative to address the area’s growing need for advanced and easily accessible outpatient care. The endoscopy project is our next step in expanding SRMC’s footprint as a regional provider of state-of-the-art outpatient services.”
In addition to launching innovative facility renovations, SRMC has also earned the 2016 Women’s Choice Award as one of “America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Safety,” acknowledging its dedication to providing exceptional patient care and treatment.
The 2016 America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Safety award is the only evidence-based designation that recognizes hospitals for both patient safety and what women say they want from a hospital. SRMC was selected as one of 472 hospitals across the nation, with more than 3,500 hospitals included in the analysis.