RCCH HealthCare Partners and medical professionals got a sneak peek of National Park Medical Center's $26 million, 67,000-square-foot expansion project Thursday, ahead of the public open house and tours set for 9-11 a.m. today.
"We are extremely pleased to open this expansion offering the most advanced and modern emergency department and cardiology center in the region. I am proud to say that it is through the hard work of our professional staff as a complement to our excellent physician staff that NPMC is able to bring this important addition to the Hot Springs community," Jerry Mabry, president of the RCCH Arkansas Market, said Thursday.
The new, state-of-the-art Heart and Vascular Center of Central Arkansas will be located on the upper level of the expansion. It has space for four cardiac catheterization labs, a 12-bed pre- and post-cath procedure area, an eight-bed cardiovascular intensive care unit and a physical therapy and cardiac rehabilitation center.
The hospital will offer physical, speech and occupational therapies with four therapy rooms and a physical therapy center where patients will be medically supervised.
"This is for patients who need cardiovascular improvement if they've had a heart attack, heart failure, open heart surgery or a stint," said Mandy Golleher, NPMC director of communications and marketing.
The Cardiovascular ICU offers eight large private rooms with private bathrooms. Beds are able to move in every direction and a nurse's substation between rooms allows nurses to observe two patients at a time. A pneumatic tube system also allows efficient delivery of laboratory specimens for processing and evaluation.
The pre- and post-cath procedure area will be utilized for patients being checked for blockage in arteries, receiving pacemakers, or suffering from coronary heart disease. Golleher said the previous facility only had five beds, but with the expansion they have increased their capacity to 12.
"Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of men and women," said Jason Jones, NPMC Cath Lab director.
The expanded emergency department will ultimately be twice the size of the existing department. The 25 state-of-the-art rooms and equipment will include four specialized trauma rooms, four secure patient rooms, 17 multifunctional exam rooms and a decontamination room.
"Once the new emergency room opens up, the old ER will be completely renovated," Golleher said.
The new ER entrance will only be accessible by ambulances or other emergency vehicles. A waiting room will not be in the direct entryway. For patients suspected to be contaminated, a separate exterior entrance into a large shower will allow the patient to be showered down prior to entering the emergency room.
"This facility is part of our continuous efforts to develop services and provide convenience to the residents of Hot Springs and the surrounding areas. The emergency department expansion and Heart and Vascular Center will even further enhance the patient experience, as we continue with our commitment to provide excellent quality care to our patients and their families," Mabry said.
The open house today will include a ribbon cutting with the Hot Springs Village Area Chamber of Commerce at 9 a.m., and a ribbon cutting with The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce at 10:30 a.m.
"One of the great things with a project of this scope is the opportunity to start with a blank piece of paper and sit down with the staff, physicians, and hospital board and ask one question. 'What do we need to do provide care in the safest, best, most convenient way for our patients and their families?'," Marty Rash, RCCH chairman and CEO, said Thursday.
"It truly was the input from our team, employees and physicians, that drove the work done by the architects and construction team," Rash said.
"What you will see in this building is cohesive yet flexible, because none of us have a crystal ball to accurately predict what is coming next in health care, so we won't end up in a situation like so many other facilities across the country where the facility causes impediments and limitations. We have an outstanding facility that will serve this region for decades," he said.
The 166-bed, full-service hospital is part of the RCCH Healthcare Partners family, which has 16 regional health systems in 12 states with more than 13,000 employees, 2,000 affiliated physicians and midlevel providers, and $1.8 billion in revenues, according to a release.
Local on 10/28/2016