Groundbreaking ceremony held for new ICU
Photo by Dave Boyd
Officials from Mountain States Health Alliance gathered
with state and local government officials and community
leaders to break ground on Tuesday for the ICU expansion
project at the Johnson City Medical Center.
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From Staff Reports
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday morning at the
Johnson City Medical Center for the expansion of the Intensive
Care Unit at the hospital.
"There has been a need for more critical care beds at JCMC
due to the increase of tertiary services over the years in
the heart, transplant and trauma cases performed here," said
Dennis Vonderfecht, president and chief executive officer
of Mountain States Health Alliance, of which the JCMC is a
part. "This expansion will not only help meet those needs
but also continue our patient-centered care initiative with
many of the special features we are incorporating into this
new ICU at JCMC."
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by dignitaries from
the region, including government officials and community leaders
as well as MSHA board members and physicians.
Over the past five years, JCMC adult ICU days have increased
23.6 percent; Wings Air Rescue flight services have increased
23.4 percent; the number of heart surgery patients at the
hospital has increased 24.7 percent; the number of transplant
cases has increased by 74.1 percent; and the number of acute
admissions patients from outside Tennessee to the hospital
has increased 65.5 percent, according to information from
MSHA.
The expansion of the ICU is expected to be completed in March
of 2005. The cost for the expansion is estimated at $32.6
million.
The 12 new ICU beds which will be housed in the expansion
are not additional beds to the MSHA facilities in Johnson
City, but are part of the 54 beds which are being transferred
from North Side Hospital to the JCMC. Of those beds, 12 have
been designated for the neonatal intensive care unit expansion,
30 for adult step-down beds and the remaining 12 beds for
the renovated ICU.
Numerous Patient-Centered Care initiatives will be incorporated
into the new ICU at the hospital, including large windows
in patient rooms with a view of the mountains, an open-air
atrium called The Healing Garden which will be filled with
lush greenery and will be situated near the family waiting
room, larger ICU rooms with space and furnishings to enable
family members to stay with patients around the clock and
a waiting room with more amenities to families and guests
of the ICU patients to help lessen stress during a medical
crisis.
