What's new at Athens Regional Medical Center in 2006?

Athens Banner-Herald
January 15, 2006

From a renovated Emergency Department to an upgraded Labor and Delivery Department to evolving towards a fully electronic clinical information system, Athens Regional Medical Center (ARMC) is seeing many exciting changes in 2006.

Whether urgent or minor, a trip to the Emergency Department does not usually evoke pleasant thoughts. Over the next two years, however, ARMC will be transforming that experience by improving the department’s space, operational processes and turnover time. Patients will be treated to a brand new state-of-the-art facility that can better serve and accommodate the growing number of people coming through the hospital’s doors. ARMC is expanding its Emergency Department, constructing a new parking deck and updating and improving the Obstetrics and Family Care Unit.

The current Emergency Department (ED) is well over capacity. Built in 1986, it was designed for 33,000 patients a year. In 2004, the yearly figures reached over 56,000, with projected rates to exceed 77,000 by 2010.

The ED will have several new features in addition to an expansion of the number of treatment rooms. The expansion will provide a short-term psychiatric suite, in-department radiology unit with a CT Scanner, in-department phlebotomy (blood drawing) services and five trauma rooms. Each treatment room will also have its own bathroom so that patients’ comfort and privacy may be respected.

The visual design of the new expansion will incorporate many elements of nature throughout the space.

"One of the most basic foundations of the design is to promote a functional environment that is healing, introducing movement, rhythm and beauty of nature," said Lynne Little, President of Positive Solutions for Interiors + Architecture in Alpharetta, GA. "Since patients at ARMC already have the benefit of exceptional technology and health care delivery, the goal then is to ease stress and show compassion to patients, families and visitors through creative facility design."

Along with durability and functionality, the project will incorporate life-affirming elements of nature. For example, the lighting of the new Emergency Department examination rooms will be unobtrusive, recessed within the walls rather than above the patient. Lighting will soften the landscape.

Another exciting addition to the hospital will be an underground parking lot. Two additional underground levels will be added to the surface parking area. Each underground level will have an elevator that connects directly into the Emergency Department atrium. In addition to more parking, the garage will create more overall green space overlooking Prince Avenue.

"Our goal is to have convenient parking for our patients, but at the same time, emphasizing site design and make the parking unobtrusive," said Katrina Evans, ARMC in-house architect. "Mature trees will be planted along the perimeter of the deck, flanking Prince and King Avenues. The landscape plan is substantial and will improve this corner of our campus."
"The expansion project will require an enormous amount of logistical work, in terms of patient flow, visitor flow, parking relocations and management of the construction activity itself, on a fairly limited geographic site bounded by King and Prince Avenues. The net result will also be a highly functional addition to our facilities that will be aesthetically pleasing to our visitors and our neighborhood," said John A. Drew, Athens Regional Health Services President and CEO.

Another aspect of the expansion includes renovation of the Labor and Delivery Unit, including larger, consistently sized rooms. The relocation of the Obstetrical Unit includes a variety of aesthetic and logistical improvements for patients and staff, including hardwood floors and flat screen televisions. The Labor and Delivery Unit will feel comfortable, warm and like home. This is slated to be complete in April 2006.

"We wanted to create an environment that is optimal for our staff but also welcoming to the mothers with an atmosphere that puts the family at ease," said Evans.

Three new Labor and Delivery rooms will open in April, with upgrades to the existing rooms following. The patient rooms are very homelike and cozy. The furniture placement in the rooms will be reoriented so that the staff has more accessibility and families feel a part of the experience and have room to gather. There will also be family nourishment areas, encouraging family members to take time for themselves to relax.

The expansion project also includes improvements to the Family Care Unit, the Well-Baby Nursery, Special Care Nursery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and patient and family spaces, with larger waiting rooms, family gathering spaces, and observation space for visitors that does not intrude with mothers’ privacy.

Especially amazing will be the natural light throughout the Labor and Delivery and the Family Care Units. The use of this light is beneficial to newborns developing their circadian rhythms, the body's "biological clock" or 24-hour cycle that is affected by light or darkness and which can make the body think it is time to sleep or wake up. The backdrop of the design will create calm pockets of comfort for patients and staff. Organic shapes, a reoccurring nautilus design and a durable pattern will make a walk down the corridor a calming journey.

The Family Care Unit – which completes the whole expansion project – creates a more cohesive, high-end women’s center for Athens Regional, improving family-centered care. The expansion will weave the technological experience into a comfortable environment that will provide dignity and privacy as well as a pleasurable experience to the patient.

Throughout all of the structural changes, Athens Regional is embarking on an exciting internal journey where it is in the process of evolving towards a full Electronic Medical Record. Sunrise, a new order/entry and clinical communication system, was designed by Athens Regional physicians and clinicians. Sunrise will make communication faster, more accurate easier to understand.

In addition to a new order communication system and more computers in clinical areas, physicians and clinicians will have access to their patient lists, test results and dictated reports. This critical information can be simultaneously available to every staff member working with the patient. Switching from paper records and forms to the computer allows employees to have the most up-to-date information on our patients instantly. Staff can easily track blood sugar trends for diabetics, find a variety of different information in one location, locate dictated reports and view lab results easily and conveniently, among many things.

Many physicians, nurses, ancillary and financial staff have worked closely together to design the new Sunrise system as well as the new work processes as Athens Regional moves towards the full electronic medical record. Over 300 Guides, designated employees in various departments, have been formally trained to help accomplish these goals. They provide proactive one-on-one support to clinical staff and physicians.

"I think we are very blessed that we have a unique set of resources, a strong supportive hospital administration, a supportive physician staff, and a supportive nursing staff," said Dr. Dale Green, Chief Medical Information Office. "It is our goal to not just be good at this, but to be the best, to be the best in the country."

Whether structure or infrastructure, bricks and mortar or informational systems, Athens Regional has many exciting projects in the future, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to providing quality, compassionate and comprehensive care.