RENOVATIONS SUPPORT CARE FOR BURN PATIENTS
The new unit has 27 intensive care rooms
Last spring, Parrish McCall Constructors Inc., a Gainesville-based construction company, began work on UF Health Shands Hospital Unit 2425, an endeavor led by UF Health Shands Facilities project managers Roque Perez Velez and Charlie Boles.
In August, adults requiring care for burn injuries, severe skin disorders and difficult or chronic wounds moved into the newly renovated space. In October, the space opened for patients recovering from reconstructive procedures for the ear, nose and throat and plastic surgery.
The second-floor, 34,000-square-foot unit is designed to support complex care and infection control for these patient populations. Upon entry to the unit, visitors are asked to wash their hands and change into sterile attire before being granted access to the nursing station, from which they are guided to the appropriate patient room.
“Unit 2425 is a brand new space and we are absolutely thrilled with it,” said Ian Driscoll, M.D., a UF College of Medicine burn surgeon in the division of acute care surgery. “The design of the unit was designed specifically with our patient population in mind.”
The unit has 27 intensive care rooms with provider alcoves, as well as a rehabilitation room where patients relearn basic functions throughout their recovery. The unit also has two rooms designed for bariatric patients and four hydrotherapy stations, two respiratory therapy rooms, two rooms designed for patients in isolation, in addition to a hybrid consultation and multipurpose room for patients and families.
“Sometimes these burn injuries take many months to heal,” Driscoll shared. “The ability to provide a comforting space for the family members who often accompany our patients to the hospital is critical in the patient’s recovery. This new unit allows us to provide that.”
The rooms were designed with the help and input of burn unit nurses, physicians and the infection control team to help them deliver the specific type of care required. Each patient room comes equipped with bedside devices with speakers that allow patients to contact their nurse as well as control the TV, and window shades and other functions.
“The design of this unit allows us to actually keep a patient in their same room, with the same team, separated from other patients so the healing process can continue in a way that we know is best for them,” Driscoll explained.
Renovations also enabled a new medical supplies system that is the first of its kind at UF Health Shands Hospital. Piloted successfully in the UF Health Heart & Vascular and UF Health Neuromedicine hospitals, the system saves nurses time and increases efficiency. The unit also features larger medication dispensing rooms with easy access from both sides of the hallways.
One of the key infection control features is the unit’s direct access to the hospital’s second-floor ORs. This patient population can be at high risk for infection and reducing transport supports their care.
These renovations help our physicians, nurses and providers deliver the best possible patient care and make our patients’ recovery process more comfortable.
