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Over a year ago, the planning and facilities committee of the board of Culpeper Memorial Hospital began looking at serious needs within the hospital.
It is clear that the expertise of the hospital's physicians, the skill of the nurses, and the competence of hospital staff have outdistanced the buildings, and that there is a shortage of space for state-of-the-art equipment. The facilities need to be configured to serve our patients efficiently and comfortably in new ways.
As reimbursement patterns change and as technology progresses, it is also clear that outpatient serv'ces will continue to grow substantially and that the volume of outpatient surgery may surpass inpatient surgery.
Through the year, plans have been drawn and redrawn to meet the demands of the future. Five areas of specific need have been identified to receive major improvements.
A new Surgical Suite is the centerpiece of the effort. A part of the original 27-year-old hospital, the operating room suite has served well; but larger operating rooms are badly needed to accomodate large equipment used by surgeons, and a recovery area is needed for same day surgery patients.
The first part of the project, the Intensive/Coronary Care Unit, has been moved close to patient rooms and nursing personnel in space between the medical and surgical nursing units.
The Emergency Department also needs to be updated to meet emergency service and outpatient demands more efficiently. The department will be moved to a more accessible location on the west side of the building where patients and ambulances can reach the department easily.
With ever increasing patient load the outpatient reception facilities must be renovated and expanded to be more convenient and private for our patients and their families.
To streamline services for our inpatients as well, the admitting office and associated support services need to be relocated near the main entrance where these patients and families can reach them easily. Medical records, the business office, data processing, and administrative offices will be moved to this location for the convenience of visitors and patients.
These improvements will help keep Culpeper Memorial Hospital at the leading edge of health care. With the decision to proceed with this project, CMH affirmed two guiding principles.
Patient care and satisfaction are as important as improvement of our facilities, and the emphasis of the project will be the high quality of patient care afforded by the changes. It is the goal of CMH to provide excellent health care to our community.
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