Surgery Dept. Expansion

Lakeland HealthCare has completed the expansion of the Surgery Department at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph. The project includes:

• More than 3,000 square feet of new space
• A new Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
• A new family waiting area
• 16 private rooms to be utilized for patients being prepared for surgery and in recovery

Evidence-Based Design to Improve the Healing Process
Similar to the new addition at the St. Joseph campus, the Surgery Department's space incorporates evidence-based design principles for efficiency, patient comfort, safety, and an overall health and healing atmosphere. A new nurses' station is centrally located in the department so that nurses can quickly access patient rooms and spend more time caring for patients, increasing efficiency. Natural light is utilized in the space through skylights in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit and windows in many of the patient rooms.
 

Patient Rooms Designed with Your Comfort and Privacy in Mind
Each patient room provides a significantly larger space for patients and surgery team members, with unique features to enhance healing. Glass doors with curtains reduce noise and increase privacy for patients. Patients have their own flat screen televisions and phones for use before and after surgery. A caregiver zone allows surgery staff members to access the technology needed for patient charting, without leaving the patient's room.

A Better Experience for Patients' Family Members 
The Surgery Department's improvements enhance the hospital experience not only for patients, but also for their family members. For outpatient procedures, surgery team members provide patients with a private room prior to the surgery, and patients return to the same room following the surgery, which helps family members more easily locate loved ones and their caregivers.

To improve communication, the Surgery team has introduced a new system that allows family members to walk anywhere on the St. Joseph campus, including the cafeteria or the gift shop, and be notified via a portable pager when a patient is out of the operating room or if the surgeon needs to speak with a family member.