THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 18, 1995 TAG: 9508160246
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAM STARR, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
Three years of planning and construction culminated Wednesday with the grand opening of Sentara Bayside's three-story, 44,000-square-foot wing.
All outpatient services are in the new addition, along with an expanded emergency room and increased emergency suites, increased surgical suites and the critical care unit.
The $12.4 million addition was built in response to surveys of patients, staff and physicians and because of Sentara Bayside's dramatic shift to outpatient surgeries. The hospital was originally designed in 1975 as an inpatient facility, but 70 percent of all surgeries are now outpatient. That reflects a trend in hospitals nationwide.
Sentara vice president Mary Blunt said that all of their support services had been designed for that inpatient environment.
``There were inefficiencies of design from a physician and staffing perspective - it was poorly laid out,'' said Blunt, who oversaw the construction project. ``This will improve the traffic flow and be more cost-efficient for the hospital. Obviously, we think this improves the quality of services.''
Blunt took visitors on a tour of the addition before the grand opening. Hordes of construction workers were busy unloading furniture, painting, wiring and putting the finishing touches in the wing. The smell of wet paint and freshly laid carpet wafted through the humid, close air. (Workmen were checking the air conditioning, Blunt explained.) Proudly walking through the blue-tiled hallways, Blunt pointed out the various rooms and suites.
``Now patients will register here, get prepped in another room, have surgery in one of these suites and be discharged,'' said Blunt. ``Before, they could be on several different floors for outpatient surgery.''
Keeping everything in the same wing will make the procedures easier on patients, families and medical staff. Blunt said waiting times will be reduced and families will be able to stay with the patients longer before surgery. Also, the hospital's main entrance has been shifted to Witchduck Road from busy Independence Boulevard for easier access.
The hospital will start accepting patients in the new wing on Monday. An additional 24,000 square feet of renovated space will be completed in February.
``We listened to the patients and staff,'' said Blunt. ``They wanted more privacy, the environment to be aesthetically pleasing and not confusing.''
Bayside was acquired from the Humana Corporation in 1991 and is the smallest of the Sentara hospitals. This will be the only addition to the hospital, said Blunt.
``Our motivation was we did it to improve patient care and be cost-effective,'' she said. ``The consumer now is very cost-conscious and time-conscious. We have to work hard with services to keep the customer and keep them coming back.''
The new wing is the ``crown'' on a year of achievement for Sentara Bayside, said Sentara public affairs director Deborah Myers. In April, Bayside received accreditation with commendation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. That's the highest level of accreditation awarded, Myers said, and only 3 percent of hospitals achieve that distinction.
``The city of Virginia Beach was really interested in what Sentara would do here,'' said Myers. ``With this new wing, it's unveiling that Sentara Bayside is at a level that the city can be proud of. We're always making changes to hospitals, but this is the most significant project for Sentara.'' MEMO: A Community Open House will be held at Sentara Bayside, 800 Independence
Blvd., Sunday from noon to 3 p.m.
HOSPITAL ACHIEVES HIGHEST LEVEL OF ACCREDITATION FOR '95
Sentara Bayside has achieved accreditation with commendation, the
highest level of accreditation awarded by the Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Only 3 percent of all hospitals surveyed by the Joint Commission
receive accreditation with commendation, which recognizes exemplary
performance.
``We are extremely excited about this because in 1995 the Joint
Commission standards for accreditation were raised, shifting from a
focus on specific disciplines to clinical processes across the
hospital,'' said Ed Berdick, Sentara Bayside administrator.
According to Rosie Mohn, the Sentara Bayside nurse executive who led
the survey process, the Joint Commission was impressed with the
integration of physicians in the hospital's five patient-focused
operating centers and its continuous quality improvement process.
A health care organization voluntarily undergoes a Joint Commission
survey with a full team of experts every three years. The survey is
intended to stimulate health care organizations to meet or exceed the
standards.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Workers put the finishing touches on the new addition to Sentara
Bayside Hospital on Independence Boulevard.
by CNB