SAN DIEGO, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Sharp Grossmont Hospital is preparing to open the doors to its new Emergency and Critical Care Center -- one of the most technologically advanced emergency and intensive care facilities in the nation. The $63 million, 165,000-square-foot center was built to meet the demand for emergency and critical care services in San Diego -- one of America’s fastest growing cites. In addition, its Disaster-Emergency Response Center prepares the city to respond during heightened terror alerts.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040812/LATH045LOGO)
“We are the busiest Emergency Department in San Diego County, serving more than 70,000 patients each year and the population continues to grow. Sharp Grossmont needed to expand,” said Michele Tarbet, R.N., chief executive officer, Sharp Grossmont Hospital. “When the second phase of the center is complete, we will be able to serve an estimated 100,000 emergency patients annually and significantly reduce wait times in the emergency room and emergency ambulance bypasses to other hospitals.”
This two-phased project lays the groundwork for efficient, personalized critical care and emergency services in one convenient location, now and in the future. The center will open in early September, but guests at the August 20 dedication ceremony will get a sneak preview.
Phase one includes the opening two floors, which will house the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit. The remaining three floors, phase two, will support more than 80 new critical care and intensive care beds to meet the medical demands of our growing community.
Advancing the Art of Medicine
Sharp Grossmont Hospital’s Emergency and Critical Care Center features the most advanced technologies in a patient-centered environment. From the latest equipment to efficient design, the center provides a full spectrum of services under one roof.
“The new center is the outcome of seven years of planning,” said Maryann Cone, R.N., Sharp Grossmont Hospital’s chief nursing officer, “and developed by a team of physicians, nurses, hospital administration and the community. At the new center, patients will receive the latest advances in care for serious illnesses and emergencies, all provided by a multi-disciplinary team of health-care professionals.”
The center provides a variety of amenities and advanced technologies such as:
* 43 emergency care and 24 critical-care beds * Efficient emergency department design to reduce wait times for emergency care * Articulating Arms - provides 360-degree access to patients and critical equipment and medical gases * Cardiac Monitors - one of the nations first with the fully transportable “Smart” monitor - increasing safety and data availability, and reducing the time spent searching for monitors or determining the need for vital signs such as heart rate * Point-of-Care Cart - bedside lab tests with results in 30 seconds, down from an hour * Bispectral Index Technology (BIS) - measures brain waves and provides advanced sedation monitoring, ensuring patients are unconscious and free of pain, yet able to wake quickly with few side effects * Disaster Response Center - equipped with 43 emergency rooms, 22 isolation rooms (SARS, biohazards, tuberculosis), body suits and respirators, six integrated and two portable decontamination showers - one of the County’s few built into the building * Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) - instantly stores, transmits and displays radiology images * Automatic hand-washing system - one of the first for health care * Patient focused environment to advance healing, including: atrium garden, children’s interactive area, fish aquarium, concierge services and more Transforming Health Care in San Diego
The new Emergency and Critical Care Center is the first of many projects modernizing Sharp Grossmont Hospital to meet the future health care needs of the community. The generous support of Grossmont Hospital Foundation, the Grossmont Healthcare District and the community is central to Sharp Grossmont Hospital’s ability to transform health care. Working closely with the community, these partners will raise the additional $45 million needed to complete the top three floors. Over the next five years, Sharp HealthCare will invest more than $420 million in facilities across the system.
With the center’s opening, Sharp Grossmont Hospital will have 481 licensed acute-care beds, making it one of the largest hospitals in San Diego. The hospital is known for its outstanding programs in cardiac care, orthopedics, cancer treatment, rehabilitation, behavioral health, women’s and children’s health and hospice care.
Sharp Grossmont also offers extensive outpatient services and prevention programs in support of Sharp HealthCare’s emphasis on health and wellness. Sharp HealthCare is a not-for-profit organization with more than 13,000 employees. Sharp is ranked among the nation’s top three integrated health care systems and first in California by Modern Healthcare magazine. http://www.sharp.com/
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040812/LATH045LOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comSharp Grossmont Hospital
CONTACT: Nancy Goglin, +1-619-644-4950, nancy.goglin@sharp.com, orChristy Heiser, +1-619-644-4053, christy.heiser@sharp.com, both of SharpGrossmont Hospital
Web site: http://www.sharp.com/
