New Addition to Hospital Opens in Newport January 30, 2019 On Thursday, Jan. 31, Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital began a new era in health care, with the opening of the hospital’s new, three-story addition. The modern facility houses expanded and fully updated Emergency, Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging departments on the first floor, brings multiple clinics into one location on the second floor, and offers larger inpatient rooms, many with healing views of the ocean and bay front. “We are so excited to open this beautiful facility that was built with the patient at the center. Not only does this new facility offer more for our patients in terms of greater convenience and the latest in modern technology, it also offers our clinical staff a better-designed, more-efficient work space so they can work at the top of their game, providing even better patient care than before,” said Lesley Ogden, chief executive officer, SPCH. In the planning for this facility, which took several years, staff looked at best practices and worked to design departments to eliminate bottlenecks and inefficiencies and to improve patient care. Some examples of this include larger imaging and surgical areas to allow clinical teams room to work efficiently; positioning related departments next to each other, such as Emergency, Imaging and Surgery; creating several “flex rooms” that can serve dual purposes, such as housing an OB patient or a surgical patient depending on census; even the addition of trash doors in inpatient rooms so patients are not disturbed when soiled linen or waste is removed. “We feel that this facility will allow us to serve the health care needs of our community for decades to come,” said Ogden. The new building is the first phase in a larger construction project to fully modernize the hospital by early 2020. In February, construction begins on phase two, which includes the complete renovation and seismic retrofit of the current two-story hospital, which was built in 1988. When complete, that building will house an expanded Laboratory, Cardiopulmonary/Cardiac Rehabilitation Department, a new sleep lab, larger wound care and infusion area, kitchen and cafeteria and more. Community support is behind this project. In 2015, residents of the Pacific Communities Health District approved a $57-million bond referendum to finance the project. Samaritan Health Services has contributed $10 million to purchase equipment and furnishings, and the Pacific Communities Health District Foundation is raising an additional $1 million for equipment and artwork. A community-wide celebration and dedication event will be held when the full project is complete in early 2020. Visit Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital’s Facebook page to see more pictures.
