The Surgery Center at Salem Community Hospital is Complete Over the past several years, a variety of exciting changes have occurred on the campus of Salem Community Hospital. The most recent is the expansion of the Hospital's Surgery Department, which offers advanced and convenient surgical care to the residents of Salem and the surrounding communities.
The Surgery Center at Salem Community Hospital has been officially completed after three years of construction and renovation. The $19 million expansion and renovation of the existing Surgery Department created a state-of-the-art facility that combines convenience with high quality care.
Located East of the main Hospital entrance, The Surgery Center at Salem Community Hospital is conveniently accessible with its own entrance and nearby parking.
Meeting the Area's Need for Surgical Care
The Surgery expansion required years of consideration and planning to complete. Advances in technology and medicine continue to revolutionize surgery, and more conditions can be treated than ever before. To respond to this growth, SCH began making plans to expand surgical services several years ago. The location of the Hospital's former Surgery Department within the facility made further expansion difficult. It was evident that a major expansion would be necessary to house a new Surgery Department to meet the community's needs.
Project Completed in Two Phases
From 2004 - 2006, the Hospital first addressed its need for a new Central Utility Plant, which was necessary before any future growth could occur. The new Central Plant, located in a separate building behind the Hospital, will meet the facility's needs for at least the next 30 years. Construction also provided room to relocate support services, so that a spacious and highly centralized Surgery Department could be created.
Phase I
Once the Central Plant was completed in the Fall of 2006, the first phase of the Surgery expansion began. This phase created a 19,366 square-foot, two level addition on the East end of the Hospital structure. The addition houses modern Operating Suites on the first level and a smartly-designed Central Supply Department on the lower level. This portion of the project was completed in the Spring of 2008, and the first surgeries were performed at the new facility on April 16, 2008.
Phase II
The second phase of the project continued while the new addition was being utilized. This phase involved the renovation of existing space within the Hospital, in the area which adjoins the new addition. The Surgery Department was previously located in this area. The renovation resulted in a new Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and Pre-Operative and Recovery Area. A new Surgical Waiting Room, nearly double the size of the previous one, was also constructed.
Patient Benefits
The Surgery Center at Salem Community Hospital offers a wide range of surgical procedures, from Outpatient surgeries to more complex surgical cases requiring hospitalization. While patients and their loved ones will appreciate the amenities and conveniences that have been added to make their experience as pleasant as possible, the safety of offering surgical services within a full service Hospital is of the utmost importance. Surgical patients at SCH are assured that a highly-qualified staff of professionals and support services are easily accessible should specialized care be required.
Operating Suites and a Smartly Designed Central Supply Department
The construction of The Surgery Center at Salem Community Hospital created seven spacious operating suites and a new Central Supply Department. The advanced Operating Rooms provide the technology needed to perform a wide variety of procedures, including General Surgery, Gynecology, Gastroenterology, Laparoscopy, Orthopaedic, Ophthalmology, Urology and Vascular surgeries.
Anesthesiologists prepare a patient for surgery in one of the new Operating Suites.
Operating Suites: Each of the new Operating Suites features modern equipment, as well as boom technology, which is an innovative way to improve safety. Booms are moveable columns attached overhead for the storage of medical equipment and lighting. This innovation helps to manage cords and lines in the OR. Digital imaging displays are also present in each Operating Suite. This technology assists the surgical team by providing clear, high quality images of internal structures which may be needed to complete a surgical procedure.
Orthopaedic Surgery Suite: Patients in need of orthopaedic surgeries, such as joint replacements, can undergo surgery using the latest technology at the Surgery Center's specially-designed Orthopaedic Suite. This suite is larger than the traditional Operating Room to accommodate all of the specialized surgical equiment needed to complete complex orthopaedic procedures.
Urologic Surgery Suite: Another suite has been specially-designed for urologic procedures, such as brachytherapy. The Urology Suite is specially-equipped with a fixed table that accommodates the use of fluoroscopy during procedures. Fluoroscopy is an x-ray procedure that provides images of moving body structures. The detailed, real-time images captured during fluoroscopy are projected onto a monitor to assist the surgeon with the completion of the procedure.
Members of the Salem Community Hospital surgical staff prepare for a procedure in the Center's urologic suite.
Central Supply: Located on the lower level of the new addition, the Central Supply Department is responsible for sterilizing, sorting and maintaining the supplies needed for Surgery. The Department consists of several distinct areas and was specially-designed to ensure that sterile instruments never cross paths with equiment that has already been used. Important areas include the Sterile Preparation Area, where two steam autoclaves are used to sterilize the equipment; four workstations, where staff thoroughly examine instruments before they are assembled; and specialized sterilization equipment for the wide variety of surgical tools used in the modern surgery department, such as endoscopes and non-disposable respiratory devices. Areas for Linen Folding, Breakdown and Receiving, and Sterile Storeage complete the department.
Staff members in the Central Supply Department inspect and pack instruments prior to sterilization.
Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), Pre-Operative and Recovery Area and Surgical Waiting Room
To enhance patient privacy and safety, space on the ground floor of the Hospital was renovated to create a new 10-bed PACU and 16-bed Pre-Operative and Recovery Area, featuring the latest technology. Both of these areas have designated isolation rooms and centralized nursing stations. Their close proximity to the operating suites and staff offices helps to simplify the transport of patients and protect their privacy. Because the family members of surgical patients may wait for several hours while their loved ones undergo surgery, a comfortable, convenient and soothing Surgical Waiting Room was also created in this area.
10-Bed Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU): Patients recover from the effects of anesthesia under the watchful care of anesthesiologists and specially-trained nurses. The latest technology and monitoring devices are used to enhance patient safety.
16-Bed Pre-Operative and Recovery Area:
This dual purpose area is where surgical patients arrive prior to their surgeries, and where some of them will return after surgery to complete their recoveries before being discharged home with a family member. Each private patient bay is equipped with an LCD television to help pass the time and reduce anxiety.
Wide, sunny hallways surround the inner core of operating suites in The Surgery Center at Salem Community Hospital. This feature provides a cheerful area for patients as they are taken to the operating rooms.
Surgical Waiting Room: The families of surgical patients can wait comfortably in the expanded Surgical Waiting Room, staffed by Hospital volunteers. The area includes two televisions and a beverage station, as well as nearby restrooms. Families may also opt into the computerized patient tracking system to receive general progress updates about their loved ones, such as "In Recovery." Patient privacy is protected through this system, which uses codes instead of names. If families would like to leave the general area, beepers are available from the volunteer, who will notify them when they should return. The proximity of the Surgical Waiting Room to the Cafeteria, Gift Shop and Surgery Department is convenient, yet private. Nearby consultation rooms allow surgeons to speak to families privately following their loved ones procedures. |
