ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, August 1, 1993                   TAG: 9307300434
SECTION: DISCOVERY                    PAGE: D-18   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CAROLYN CLICK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Long


VALLEY'S MEDICAL CENTERS UPDATING, EXPANDING

The gleaming nine-story tower at Roanoke Memorial Hospital is the latest addition to Roanoke's medical skyline.

Once it opens in early 1994, the South Tower will provide medical personnel at the Carilion Health System hospital with an expansive new emergency center, a new cardiac care wing and state-of-the-art intensive care units.

The construction is one of the most visible signs of activity in 1993 as the Roanoke Valley medical community polishes its reputation as the premier health care center for Western Virginia.

The Roanoke Valley boasts four community hospitals, a Veterans Administration medical center and numerous specialty clinics. More than 400 doctors practice in the area.

The new addition at Roanoke Memorial Hospital will include 137 beds, but there will be no net gain in the hospital's allotted 677-patient beds because officials plan eventually to demolish the old South Wing of the hospital.

"It was much cheaper to build the new building then renovate the old wing," said hospital spokeswoman Salley Ramey. The project is expected to cost about $55 million.

The hospital's Trauma I medical center will go from 5,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet. A helioport on top of the building will allow Lifeguard 10, the 24-hour emergency helicopter owned by the Carilion Health System, to land on the building. A dedicated elevator will move trauma patients directly to the emergency department.

The intensive care units will incorporate a new "in the round" design that will afford nurses greater visibility of patients and their conditions. Beds, with plenty of space around them to locate portable monitors and other critical care equipment, are located in a semicircle around the nursing stations.

The addition allows for an expansion of the hospital's cardiac facilities including new operating rooms. The hospital's medical library will be moved to the South Tower.

With the new addition, Roanoke Memorial enhances its reputation as a full-service, acute care hospital. This year, the hospital began the first kidney transplant program in the region. It also operates the Cancer Center of Southwest Virginia and other speciality centers, along with family medical centers and outpatient clinics.

Like Roanoke Memorial, Community Hospital of Roanoke Valley is under the umbrella of the Carilion Health System, which owns or manages 13 hospitals in Southwest Virginia.

Located on Elm Avenue in Southeast Roanoke, it is a full-service hospital, offering a range of services from surgery to cancer treatment.

Community also is home to the Carilion Center for Women and Children, which offers specialized care in matters of reproduction, infertility and pediatrics. The birthing center handles all deliveries for the two Roanoke Carilion hospitals.

Community operates the busiest emergency room in the Roanoke Valley, said Page Pace, a hospital spokeswoman. It is a Trauma II center (the most critically injured are taken to the Trauma I center at RMH) and focuses on treating both the patient and the family.

Lewis-Gale is owned by the Hospital Corporation of America, which operates two dozen hospitals in Virginia, and is licensed to operate 406 beds.

It is strong in the areas of heart, cancer, women's health and rehabilitation. It offers heart diagnostic and treatment services that include cardiac catheterization, echocardiography, balloon angioplasty and open heart surgery.

Lewis-Gale also provides services in laser surgery, orthopedics, community health, managed care services and a physician referral line.

It's Regional Cancer Center, affiliated with the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, offers radiation therapy and support groups. It recently became the second cancer facility in Virginia to be accredited by the American College of Radiology.

Gill Memorial Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, also owned by Carilion Health System, is licensed for 40 beds. But with the continuing success of outpatient and same-day surgery in the otolaryngology field, many patients no longer need to plan for an overnight stay.

The hospital houses the regional office of the Old Dominion Eye Bank, which recovers corneas and sclera for transplants.

The Veterans Affairs medical complex in Salem, once devoted primarily to the treatment of psychiatric disorders, has worked to establish itself as an acute care center for veterans with service-connected injuries. Virtually all specialities are represented, including cardiac catheterization, kidney dialysis, orthopedics and eye surgery. A full-time eye surgeon is joining the hospital this year.

Dr. Rajiv Jain, appointed in June as chief of staff after serving as acting chief for a year, said continuity of care is one area that has been greatly emphasised in 1993.

For instance, a psychiatric patient who spends time as a hospital patient would be assigned the same psychiatrist following discharge for out-patient treatment.

The VA hospital is licensed for 612 beds, 306 for psychiatric patients, 206 for acute care and surgical patients and 100 beds in a nursing home unit.

This year, the hospital is renovating Building 2 on the grounds for conversion into a nursing home unit. The center also opened a child care center on site for employees and the community, making it the first VA medical center in the country to provide both adult and child day care.

The physician-owned Lewis-Gale Clinic is on the campus of Lewis-Gale Hospital, but maintains independent status as the state's largest group practice. Its 125 doctors, located at the main clinic and its satellites across the Roanoke Valley, deliver a wide range of medical care in 28 specialties.

A new $6.5 million addition was completed in early 1993, housing the most popular specialities, including allergy, dermatology, ear, nose and throat, fertility and reproductive health, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics. The clinic capitalizes on the trend toward out-patient and same-day surgery and relies on new technology to achieve its success.

With 145 beds, the Lewis-Gale Psychiatric Center is the largest private facility in the region devoted to psychiatric and chemical dependency disorders.

Located on the Lewis Gale Hospital complex, the center is also owned by Hospital Corporation of America. In addition to providing in-patient treatment for senior citizens, adults and adolescents, the center has out-patient services that include, among other things, an intensive evening program for those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction.

The state-run Catawba Hospital provides long-term psychiatric care for some 200 elderly patients. It is one of two state facilities primarily devoted to geriatric care, although there are two small units at state mental hospitals in Marion and Williamsburg.

The hospital also has a 33-bed unit that offers short-term adult psychiatric treatment.

Catawba expects to benefit from the multi-million dollar bond referendum endorsed by voters last year, said clinical director Maureen Schnittger. Designs already have been approved for a new patient activities building that will be completed in 1995. A new sprinkler system also will be installed throughout the hospital.

The Mount Regis Center, located in Salem, is a 25-bed facility for the treatment of alcoholism and drug dependency. It also offers inpatient and outpatient help in marital counseling and career and psychological evaluations.

With the acquisition of the Changes Clinic on Brambleton Avenue in 1992, the Mount Regis Center now has 35 employees. It is owned by a Massachusetts corporation, Pioneer Health Care. The hospital is located on Jefferson Street.



 by CNB