An increasing number of COVID-19 positive patients need the care of our talented and skilled professionals at NHRMC, and NHRMC is adapting its plan to provide more space for COVID and non-COVID patients.
When word of the pandemic first reached the U.S., our leaders detailed a plan for graduating levels of COVID patients for every section of the main hospital. Now that COVID has become more prevalent in our community and the North Tower is ready for occupancy, NHRMC is adapting the plan to provide the best possible care for our patients and the safest environment possible for our staff.
On Monday, July 27, NHRMC will move 36 medicine patients to the fourth floor of the new North Tower. Spiritual Care will hold a nondenominational blessing of the unit on Monday morning.
The transition will allow the 10th floor of the South Tower to be used solely for Cardiology patients, and will allow the 9th floor of the South Tower to be used for COVID patients. If more ICU space is needed for COVID patients, the CCU will become the third ICU devoted to COVID care.
The CCU has been converted to negative pressure space, opening up a third intensive care unit for COVID patients. Pending State approval, 16 additional ICU beds will be added to the 3rd floor of the new tower to care for non-COVID patients.
“These proactive changes position NHRMC to provide excellent care to our patients even if we experience a sudden increase in the number of COVID patients,” said Amy Akers, VP, Associate Chief Nurse Executive. “Our staff has done a phenomenal job maintaining our standards of excellence during this pandemic. Utilizing the newly available space enables us to prepare for additional patient populations with less movement of beds from unit to unit.”
NHRMC continues to hire staff to care for increasing numbers of patients. Sixty new grad RNs started recently, more than 40 travelers have joined our team, and we continue to recruit experienced nurses, travelers, respiratory staff and other staff who are critical to the care of our patients.