As the demand for patient care services at BWH increases, the hospital continues to meet the challenge of unprecedented growth. To do this, the hospital is in the process of revising clinical service configurations on certain tower floors in the patient tower and adding additional beds to meet patient needs.
“The plan allows BWH employees to be more responsive to patient needs and provides easier access to patients by caregivers,” said Matthew Van Vranken, chief operating officer. The moves are intended to achieve several objectives. Cancer patients and their caregiving staff were moved from 7AB to 5 AB, as a way to increase the availability of private rooms for these patients
to meet their medical needs, while maintaining oncology regionalization on the 5th and 6th floors.
Subsequent to this move, telemetry was installed on 7AB to facilitate the care of both intermediate- and routine-level Surgical Services patients. Telemetry were also installed on 15C, which has been designated as a medical pod because of its proximity to the GMS services on the 14th floor. The construction of a new Surgical ICU started August 1.
The below moves were accompanied by deep cleaning of some pods. Other components of the construction plan include the closing of 10C for two weeks to allow 11C under-floor work, and the installation of new nurse call systems on several pods.
Your flexibility with the moves has been appreciated. If you have any questions regarding these temporary and permanent changes, contact the vice president of your department.
Patient Bed Configuration Schedule
Action Date
Move 11C to 11A July 31
Start 11-C renovation July 31
Complete 5AB renovations July 31- August 12
Move 7AB to 5AB August 13
Complete 7B renovations August 13-16
Complete 7A renovations August 13-22
Re-open 7B August 17
(restoring previously closed surgical pod)
Move 15C patients and staff August 23
to 7A space (temporary move)
Complete 15C renovations August 23-26
Re-open 15C as a medical pod August 28
with telemetry capability
Temporarily relocate 10C patients August 28-
and Staff to 7A space to facilitate September 12
11C ICU construction
Open 7A as a surgical pod After September 13
(pending staff availability)