ED secure room renovation

Hi all,

Funding was just approved on monday by senior team to proceed with the secure room renovation in both sites starting in January 2019. The initial budget of 300 thousand per site was blown out of the water with the initial quote for both sites together at 1.2 million.
The hospital has allocated some quality /facility improvement funding to help fund this new huge price tag.. and the foundations too have added more money to make this happen.

Firm completion date no later than may long weekend 2019.

Both ER’s will have temporary secure rooms ( in existing room one (HDMH) and in existing minor room( SMMH) ).

SMMH will not have rooms 3.4.obs 3 and isolation rooms during the renovation and ultimately will see this space become a secure room and a “flex room”.
Main difference is the flex room will have medical gas , suction, etc as in any other routine care bay.
HDMH will not have rooms 10, eye and 8 during the renovation and will see this space become two rooms as above.

Each room has its own tiny washroom and there is a dedicated observation area outside/between the rooms.
Tons of work/research has gone into the design, structure,best layout in the rooms, security, etc. Stacey and Bill where involved in the early mental health working group that this came out of. Stacey has continued work on the mental health construction room side of things too. Nursing leadership and admin and facilities have dedicated a lot of time to this project too.

In the short term trauma one in SMMH will be divided into two bays and cast room supply room will be changed to clinical space for seeing patients.

In Huntsville we should anticipate more use of trauma one to see patients in the short term and long term.

LONG TERM..we will be better equipped to have a safer environment for patients and staff when a secure room is needed ( which is daily presently). Downside we will ultimately be loosing some stretcher spaces in both ER’s. SMMH down two stretcher spots. HDMH down one stretcher spot.

This issue is huge and not to be taken lightly. ITS huge.

We will continue to look for space to have stretchers ( as an example..perhaps our flex room could hold two stretchers most of the time?, maybe trauma one in SMMH is ideal for longterm use for 2 stretchers most of the time?,etc). We also will need to continue to improve our flow of patients to inpatient beds and out or the ER and actively switch patients that are appropriate out of their bed to a chair if/when appropriate …etc…

If you want more information in anyway please ask. Lots of communication to go out to partners about this renovation and reduced capacity too.

JS