Acute Care Update Highlights Patient Wards

The new Acute Care Wing will have three patient wards, with work completed over the past month serving to highlight the soon-to-be-finished product.

“Each ward is 19,260 square feet making them substantially larger than the wards in the current facility,” said Bermuda Hospitals Board [BHB] Chairman Jonathan Brewin.

“As its name suggests, all wards in the Acute Care Wing will have patients diagnosed as acute. An acute disease happens suddenly or very quickly and lasts for a short period. In medical parlance it can also refer to the immediate post-injury phase of healing,” said BHB Chief of Staff Michael Weitekamp MD.

“The new wing is state-of-the-art and has features that support improvements in patient care. Each ward can accommodate 30 patients. Cared for in single patient suites, clinical staff will be able to maintain patient privacy in carrying out their duties.

”Patient confidentiality is paramount in hospitals. Single rooms will help to ensure privacy for the patient and for their medical information. Patients will no longer have to worry about their personal information being shared with other patients or visitors in their room.

“The medical team will be able to fully disclose the plan of care for their patients without fear of confidentiality being breached. This is best practice in North America. Single rooms will also help us to mitigate infection control risks,” said BHB Chief Nursing, Quality & Risk Management Judy Richardson.

Third floor ward as it appeared in April 2014:

“Paget Health Services’ design of the new wing included a lot of detail in this area,” said BHB CEO Venetta Symonds. “We specified clinical areas be soundproofed to ensure patient confidentiality,” she added.

“In key areas, we have carefully selected materials to meet the performance specifications as set out in the contract. For example, we have used an 1/8″ thick 100 percent recyclable sheet acoustic insulation product which has been engineered to transform sound energy into trace amounts of friction energy instead of the more traditional thicker insulation material which absorbs the sound,” said PHS General Manager Barry New.

A spokesperson said, “There are two nursing stations on each ward. At each station, nurses have a clear line of sight of 15 rooms. While there is access to the nurse call system from every room, the ability of nurses to easily see each room from their station adds an additional layer of protection for patients.

“Each ward will also have an exam/consult room where clinicians will be able to examine patients or consult with them or family members.”

Nicole Caines, BHB Assistant Director, Operational Readiness said, “Each patient ward has a waiting area overlooking the atrium with seating for 10 and a wheelchair. Access to the wards will be via elevators. Stairs are designated for emergency exit only.”

Third floor ward as it appeared in May 2014:

“Patient wards are on the third, fourth, and fifth floors and are color coded to help the public find their way. The third floor is turquoise, the fourth is blue, and the fifth is violet.”

“The new Acute Care Wing opens to the public this September. If you have any questions about departments and services moving to the new wing, please contact Cathy Stovell on 239-1006 or email her on cathy.stovell@bhb.bm. You can also support your new Acute Care Wing with a donation to the Why It Matters campaign; visit online for more information.”

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