St. Petersburg Hospital Rebuilds ER, Adds Privacy

St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Petersburg is building a tower.

The 100,000-square-feet tower will house St. Anthony's new ER and is designed to protect patient privacy with 32 new patient exam rooms and separate entrances for patients and ambulances. Construction is expected to be completed by Spring 2012.
 
According to hospital spokesperson Beth Hardy, hospital staff actively participated in the design process. "Information and plans were posted on our internal Intranet site for all team members to provide suggestions," says Hardy. "And then special work groups that included physicians and nursing staff reviewed plans and assessed mock rooms and layouts."

Hardy says the design will not only protect patient privacy, but will also expedite admissions and diagnostics through an enhanced triage area and on-site lab and imaging facilities.

"The reason behind the renovation is to better meet the health care needs of the community through an expanded and larger emergency center that has private exam rooms and more room for equipment required in ERs today," she says.

The new emergency center will be on the east side of the historical main building in the hospital complex, which is bordered by Fifth Avenue North, 14th Street, Ninth Avenue North and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street. The current ER, which has only two private exam rooms and one critical care room, will serve another purpose yet to be determined when ER services moves into the new tower.

Hardy says the new facility will continue to uphold the environmental standards that have earned the hospital the EPA's ENERGY STAR for Superior Energy Efficiency for the last two years. St. Anthony's was the first hospital in Florida to achieve this recognition in 2009, and one of only 86 hospitals in the nation to be so honored.

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Beth Hardy, St. Anthony's Hospital