News
Emerson Hospital breaks ground on construction
of three key areas to enhance patient experience
(CONCORD, Mass., June 28, 2006)--Emerson Hospital today broke ground on Project SCORE (Surgical Center, Obstetrics and Radiology Expansion), a $35-million initiative that will enhance the patient experience in three key areas: surgery, obstetrics and interventional radiology. Collectively known as Project SCORE, the project combines new construction with a series of innovative renovations and upgrades. Significant leadership gifts from Bedford residents Fred and Ines Yeatts and Concord residents Chuck and Gloria Clough helped launch the project.
“This project will add new space, renovate existing space and include sophisticated imaging and surgical technology,” said Christine Schuster, Emerson Hospital president and CEO. “In the process, we will improve the efficiency of how care is provided.”
The new Clough Surgical Center will include a dedicated private entrance, pre-surgical rooms, an expanded waiting area with its own kitchenette, new post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), consultation rooms and post-operating recovery rooms. The surgery project will include the construction of three new operating rooms. The ORs will feature new technology for minimally invasive surgery and incorporate the use of sophisticated imaging systems.
The new postpartum unit will combine more than 14,000 square feet of new construction and renovation on and adjacent to the West Wing’s third floor. The private rooms are being designed with attention to feng shui principles, like color, sunlight and mood, to create a soothing environment ideal for a family to spend time after the birth of a baby.
Finally, Project SCORE includes the construction of a state-of-the-art, versatile interventional radiology suite that features upgraded technology and can be converted to a sterile OR for complex procedures, which will be appropriately sized to allow for anesthesia and other equipment, such as portable ultrasound. The suite’s centerpiece will be the newest model fluoroscopy unit, which sweeps around the patient to provide sophisticated, real-time X-rays that guide the procedure while limiting the radiation exposure to patient and staff.
The new suite is designed with six recovery bays and a consultation room where patients and family members can meet with the clinical team. “The expanded space, added privacy and upgraded technology will bring interventional radiology at Emerson to a new level that will benefit the growing number of people who receive these targeted, effective procedures,” said Schuster.
Emerson Hospital anticipates growth in all three clinical areas. “There is so much progress going on in medicine,” said Schuster. “This construction upgrade shows Emerson is not standing still. We are planning to grow and, in the process, meet our patients’ needs for comfort and privacy.”