hospital
COMFORTS OF HOME
While patient rooms at Valley ’ s Ridgewood location are doubles of about 140-200 square feet , the 370 patient rooms at the new campus will all be private — single rooms reduce the rates of hospital-acquired infections — and 300 square feet in size . This allows for a family area with a convertible couch for overnight stays . An in-room charting computer has a pivoting keyboard , custom-made for Valley , that makes it easier for staff to talk to patients while recording and reviewing notes .
Lessons from COVID have also been incorporated into the new design : Each patient room and all exam rooms in the emergency department can be converted to negative pressure rooms , and gas and electrical outlets in all patient rooms can operate at critical-care standards . Maintenance-free , self-sealing storage compartments embedded in the wall between the patient ’ s room and the hall will allow IV pumps to be accessed and stocked without disturbing the patients . Rooms also contain more negative pressure outlets to ensure that smoke can ’ t enter in case of fires .
HEADSUP
Hospital designers are especially proud of the 75-inch digital whiteboard that faces the patient ’ s bed and provides services that go far beyond the old-fashioned whiteboards nurses update by hand . These display personalized information for each patient , announce staffers ’ names as they enter , offer menus , and show healing visuals , results of lab tests , X-rays , MRI and CT-scans , helpful exercises , and more . Patients operate controls at bedside , where they will also find an iPad-like tablet . The Hello app allows for secure video conferencing with doctors , including when they make their rounds and the patients ’ families aren ’ t present .
RENDERINGS : COURTESY OF VALLEY HOSPITAL
26 2023 EDITION ( 201 ) HEALTH