Highland Hospital Expands Services with Opening of New Unit Tuesday, Feb. 7
February 02, 2012
East 7 Patient Room
Highland Hospital will expand its services by opening a new unit Tuesday, Feb. 7. The newly renovated East 7 will support the launch of neuromedicine services at Highland and the expansion of the Evarts Joint Center to two floors of the hospital.
East 7 includes a family room and kitchen area, 15 private rooms and six-step down beds, which enable staff to manage patients in need of more intensive care prior to discharge. Each room is equipped with a flat-screen television, and several of the rooms include refrigerators, large closets and fold-out beds to accommodate family members.
The unit will treat patients with complex neurological conditions and patients of neurosurgery, spine surgery and head-and-neck surgery. New specialized equipment on the unit will allow doctors to measure patients for suspected seizures. Staff specially trained in neurosurgery and neurology will provide post-surgical and medical care for patients.
East 7 Hallway
This unit also supports significant expansion of the Evarts Joint Center. Evarts Joint Center patients will now be cared for on two state-of-the-art units - East 6 and East 7 - by providers and staff who focus on total joint care.
"We are continually reinvesting in our facility to provide the highest level of care to our patients," said Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Cindy Becker. "The expansion of the Evarts Joint Center and launch of a neuromedicine service are perfect examples of how we are growing to meet the needs of our community."
Since the Evarts Joint Center opened at Highland in 2004, demand for orthopaedic surgery has grown. The number of joint replacement cases at Highland increased almost 39 percent from fiscal year 2005 to fiscal year 2011.
Demand for neurological care also is likely to increase as the population ages. Doctors expect to see more patients with neurological disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and other complex conditions.Up to 30 percent of all hospitalized patients have some type of neurological problem, according to Robert Holloway, M.D., M.P.H., Chief of Neurology.
This is the latest of many expansion projects at Highland Hospital.
- In December 2011, Highland opened two new operating rooms.
- In December 2010, the observation unit opened in the Wolk Emergency Department.
- The hospital completed renovations on an expanded lobby area and a new outpatient pharmacy in May 2010.
- Highland opened its Wolk Emergency Department and the Colorectal Physiology Center in 2009.
- In 2008, Highland opened a state-of-the art Endoscopy Center and an all-new Medical Oncology and Infusion Center.