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Washington County Health System
  
  New Regional Medical Center


Robinwood Construction Update Newsletter

 

With our new hospital, Washington County Health System is building on a commitment to medical excellence that comes from being the region’s leading medical center for over 100 years…a promise to provide our region with the most advanced medical technology and clinical expertise, and to offer that care with compassion and respect. To honor that commitment, 2008 ushered in an exciting period of growth for Washington County Health System and the communities we serve.

Why build a new hospital?



Our top priority is the care of our patients. But as medical technology advances and the number of patients we treat increases, the capacity of the current hospital building to accommodate our patients’ needs diminishes.

Consider that our emergency department was built for 45,000 patient visits a year. Today, we care for more than 70,000 patients a year. The result is a crowded and inefficient space which can contribute to long waits for treatment.

Seventy-four years ago, the architects of our current inpatient rooms could not have anticipated our needs today. Those rooms were never intended to house the complex modern patient beds and the monitoring equipment that they now contain.

In addition, the current hospital was built in seven phases over many decades, so it is spread out, making it difficult for nurses and physicians to provide efficient patient care.

In recent years, we have been able to “make do.” But our staff wants the best for our patients.  It’s at the core of our mission and it is the reason why we have worked so hard to realize our vision.

The new hospital will truly bring advanced medical care to our community—and will be a source of pride for the 475,000 people who live in the region, for years to come.

Providing advanced medical care today—and tomorrow.

Patient room
New patient rooms

The new hospital incorporates some of the latest technological advances in medical care while keeping our patients’ comfort and dignity in mind. More than forty committees, made up of doctors, nurses, architects, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, administrators, physical therapists, social workers, and other health professionals, designed the new hospital, making sure that it would meet the healthcare needs of our area for years to come.

Interior and exterior areas will be comfortable and inviting, providing a welcoming environment to patients and their families. In addition, the new hospital will have 297 single-patient rooms with private bathrooms. Patients will be transported through private corridors instead of hallways used by the public.

Nursing stations are being positioned so that nurses are just a few steps from their patients’ bedsides, and a wireless call system will make it easy for patients to speak directly with their nurses. Our patients will always have a nurse close at hand.

The emergency department will have fifty-three treatment rooms, two trauma rooms, and two cardiac rooms—we’ll be able to treat more patients, and treat them more quickly.

And the new facility will be located next to Robinwood Medical Center, making the location convenient for all of our patients, as well as easily accessible for emergency vehicles.

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August 2008
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An approach that’s both comforting and comfortable.
Canopy
Front door canopy

When Washington County Hospital was first built in 1934, no one then could imagine the medical advances that we now enjoy. Our new hospital will not only accommodate today’s technology, but will also be able to adapt to newer technologies as they emerge.

We know being hospitalized isn’t any fun, but we have designed a warm, welcoming hospital to make your stay with us as pleasant as possible for you and your loved ones.

To provide privacy and support, we will have 267 single patient rooms, each with a private bathroom. We’ll be able to perform many treatments in these rooms, so patients won’t always have to travel to different areas of the hospital. And should such travel be necessary, there will be private, patient-only corridors away from the general public.

Visitor areas will be designed for comfort as well, and of course we will offer a cafeteria and gift shop. Getting to the hospital will also be easier, with plenty of parking—and without any hills to climb. 

Our seventeen new operating rooms will have high-resolution video screens for surgeons to have a better view of the operating field. Many treatments will be done in the patients’ room, saving trips to other areas of the hospital, and assuring a higher level of privacy.

All imaging studies, such as x-rays, mammograms, and CT scans, will be digital, so they will not only be more precise, but physicians can view them in their offices for faster treatment options.

A tube system throughout the hospital will allow medicines and lab work to travel quickly and efficiently from the different areas of the hospital. Medications can reach the patient faster, and important lab tests will be able to be performed more quickly. 

We will bar code medications to make sure patients get the right medicines at the right time. There will be a zoned access system in place, so that only authorized personnel can be admitted to certain patient care areas.

Departments and units that work together will be placed closely together, so that patients and staff don’t have to travel a long distance to get from one unit to the other, and so that both can work together in a more efficient manner.

Patient rooms are laid out so that nurses and doctors can respond more quickly to their needs, and a wireless nurse-call system will make it easier to get assistance.

We are excited and proud to be able to offer our community—and the region—a top-quality medical facility that will enable us to build on our commitment to each and every patient, their families, our employees, and our neighbors.

 

© 2010
Washington County Health System
251 East Antietam Street
Hagerstown, MD 21740
301-790-8000

TDD: 1-800-735-2258
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