New Regional Medical Center
	Construction Photos
	Construction Blog & Live Camera
	Floor Plan
	Fast Facts
	Economic Impact of Construction
	Private Rooms
	Behind the Scenes
	Comfort Food
	The Odd Couple
	Surgery, New and Improved
	The Spiritual Side

Robinwood Construction Update Newsletter

While “nip” and “tuck” put a casual spin on the idea of surgery, the truth is that every surgical procedure is a serious one. And as you might expect, surgical suites are one of the most needs-intensive areas to construct in a healthcare facility—especially when it comes to equipment and building materials. Meritus Medical Center is no exception. From an air handler the size of an average house to fourteen state-of-the-art operating rooms, the new hospital’s surgical suite will enhance patient safety and overall efficiency.

In each operating room, ceiling-mounted booms with articulating arms will house equipment normally placed on the floor. The booms will also contain power cords and communication cables, reducing clutter, improving staff safety, and enhancing room cleanliness. High-tech monitors and lights will hang from the ceiling. Surgeons will be able to view patient information such as CT scans, MRI studies, EKGs, and pathology images from three high-definition screens without leaving the patient’s side. “Advancing to a more modern OR will greatly facilitate the care of our patients,” said orthopaedic surgeon Thomas Amalfitano, MD. “X-rays are now digital, so we’ll be able to visualize things at the operating table, which will improve efficiency.” Real-time surgical images will also be displayed on a large wall-mounted flat screen for minimally invasive procedures, and energy-efficient LED lights will provide greater visual intensity without the heat.

Improved communication through an advanced audiovisual system will greatly benefit patients in surgery or in the emergency department. While a physician is completing a surgical case, he will be able to consult with an emergency room physician regarding a patient needing immediate surgery. This technology will help get the surgical team ready for the next case and allow the ED staff to prepare the injured patient for surgery. Using this same technology, a surgeon and pathologist can discuss specimen requirements during a procedure—reducing the time it takes to reach a diagnosis, as well as patient surgery time.

Of the fourteen operating rooms, two will be located next to the Family Birthing Center. Expectant mothers requiring a caesarean section (C-section) will have access to these two dedicated operating rooms separate from the typically busy OR. Ophthalmology and cystoscopy will also have dedicated operating rooms containing new specialized surgical equipment.

Six operating rooms will be larger, allowing more space for the additional surgical equipment and team members needed for orthopaedic, trauma, vascular, and neurosurgery procedures. "Total joints and arthroscopies require lots of equipment, so it can be hard to move around in the OR," said orthopaedic surgeon Michael Winslow, MD. "Larger operating suites are something we have long hoped for."

The most significant feature in scale is the new surgical suites’ HVAC system. The operating area will house the largest single-purpose air handler. It took seven truckloads of unassembled parts to create an air handler the size of an average house. This ventilation system will blow treated air into sixteen operating rooms, filtering out microscopic impurities.