Hospital Dialysis Unit Construction Complete
The Bermuda Hospitals Board said the construction of the Dialysis Unit in the new Acute Care Wing is complete, although not fitted with all the necessary equipment and furniture just yet.
The 11,846 square foot area is significantly larger than the Beresford Swan Dialysis Unit where treatments are currently given.
BHB President and CEO Venetta Symonds said, “A larger facility is definitely needed in order for us to adequately treat the increasing number of dialysis patients in Bermuda.
“In 1984, in need of more space to treat the increased numbers of patients back then, the unit moved from King Edward VII Memorial Hospital to its current location with 27 patients. Last June there were 142 dialysis patients’ on-island and now, less than a year later, that number has grown to 163.”
A spokesperson said, “In the new wing, the dialysis unit has 22 treatment bays. This means each day, 15 additional people will be able to use the service.
“In a large airy area with lots of natural light, 20 of the treatment bays will be arranged in stations of four. There will also be two single rooms. These rooms provide for privacy/isolation when required and are current best practice for haemodialysis units.”
The spokesperson continued, “Dialysis will be on the first floor of the new wing and will be accessible only by elevator. An examination/ consult room will be on the unit.
“This means that patients who also have to meet the nephrologist will be able to do so in the same area. Convenient and practical, designing the unit in this way facilitates better patient service. Also on the floor is a room where minor procedures can performed.
“Two nursing stations will be used to facilitate the increase in patient treatment stations. The Dialysis Unit will move to the new Acute Care Wing this September. Patients and the public will be informed of the exact dates and details on such things as parking and pick-up.”
Yup……. Looks complete….but not done yet!
New building, same s**t health care.
Don’t call the undertaker, get on a plane.
Access by elevator only? Shouldn’t there be stairs access in the event of an emergency?
i was thinking the exact same thing, surely this cannot be up to building code?
Message from BHB Public Relations Dept
The new Acute Care Wing meets the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, Fire Code. The new wing has stairs but access to them is restricted. When necessary, stair access will be made available.
It is fire code that all buildings have stairwells in case of emergency. The new wing is no different.
The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service has noted that access to stairs is also restricted in other public buildings on-island including the Dame Lois Browne-Evans building on Court Street and Seon Place on Front Street.
The Acute Care Wing design is that the public use elevators to navigate the building. The new wing will have three sets of elevators, those dedicated for use by the general public, those used to transport patients, and service elevators.
Who and how did someone approve that an area be only accessible by elevator?! Did they not think about safety issues?! Lord help the idiots in charge.
Now how about the isane salaries that you pay the doctors? Dialysis reimbursement is a drain on the insurers too. They get paid too much money simply to do dialysis. We as a population should not be footing that bill!
That’ s right. There’s no reason a doctor should be paid more than a plumber. It’s basically the same thing. It’s all pipes.
Given the increasing number of patients, I hope that they have done long term planning and have more space allocated than just the 4 spots.
Well, don’t forget, a lot of the planning for this building was done when the PLP was in, and they wanted the population to decrease, so maybe they planned for the number of patients to decrease.
The idiots in charge are beyond the Lord’s help.
Only elevator access to dialysis!!
And the consulting room to “meet the nephrologist”.
Last time I looked there were no Board Certified nephrologists in Bermuda.
Are they planning to bring in qualified staff? That would be nice.
There is no need to bring in a nethrologist. Plenty of Bermudians have watched nephrologists, and that is the same as being trained. I’m pretty sure a month or two watching one you’re as good as any so called “certified” nefrologis. How hard can it be?
Unfortunately you are correct in your assertion.
A number of Bermudian physicians feel that it would simply be too onerous to undertake specialist training and then be bothered with tedious specialist exams.
A scary thought.
Bermudian Dr Lynette Thomas is a Board certified nephrologist in private practice. She serves as the administrative head of nephrology for the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB). BHB also has a fulltime nephrologist, also Board certified, Dr. Raphael Loutoby. Both of these professionals oversee the care of our dialysis and renal transplantation patients. An additional physician, Dr Wendy Outerbridge is currently completing her training in nephrology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital – part of the Harvard University program of Partners Healthcare in Boston, Mass. She plans to return to Bermuda in the fall.
For all of the money that we pay these ladies. why are we also footing the bill for their fellowships?
They are over paid by far…that is what we need you to respond too.
Good news for the increasing number of dialysis patients.
2 questions:
1 – What are we doing to decrease diabetes. At the current rate we will soon have over 250 patients and teh current space will again be too small
2 – there needs to clarification about ‘only accessible via elevator’. If true, it will not meet fire safety standards. All of us know that you do not use elevators in the instance of a fire. Someone please clarify how the unit will be evacuated in the instance of a fire or a simple breakdown or when the elevator must be serviced.
Wow the level of this debate is shocking. There have been so many articles about the Dialysis doctor (a Bermudian) who is board certified in Nephrology, and people on here going on and on about there being none in the island…but oh they could just watch somebody so “how hard could is be???/” Wow.
And do you really think the place doesn’t have stairs that are accessible in an emergency…. ignorance should be painful…then people would get facts straight/confirmed before taking something as gospel and running with it
I was being sarcastic. Or ironic. Or something like that.
I nearly commented on the “lack of stairs” as well, but got bored with the level of stupidity.
As I am made to understand there are more that one board certified nephrologist. I am the patient of one who is board certified.
Some people should be stopped from making comments. Why is it necessary for foul language.
The credentials of a physician who trained in the states can be readily checked on the website of the American Board of Internal Medicine. There would not appear to be any evidence that either of the 2 regular dialysis doctors are certified in nephrology. Why not have a look for yourself? Or easier still, why not simply ask them?
Lets stay focused on the money….! Why are they paying so much money for dialysis…that is the question. The people who are on dialysis are covered by the government insurance. That goes to pay pocket of the hospital and the salaries for those girls are insane…absolutely out of the ball park crazy money for what they do! We need publish the salaries at KEMH and then see what happens around here!
Yes, couldn’t agree more. But think how much they might make if they were certified specialists? We must be grateful for small mercies.
As you see both physicians are Board Certified Nephrologists and a third is completing certification having worked and gain experience in the unit for many years….. apologies ?? anyone?????? *crickets