Hospital staff prepare for moving day
All Western Memorial Regional patients to transfer from old site on June 2
With just over a month to go, Hilda Bellows says there are a lot of things happening at the new Western Memorial Regional Hospital to get ready to welcome patients and the public on June 2.
Bellows, who is NL Health Services western zone project manager and the new hospital planning and patient move co-ordinator, said the activity level at the new hospital in Corner Brook is very busy.
“Every single department has their staff coming in and activating their areas. They’re putting all the equipment in place. They’re making sure that the rooms are ready, that medication areas are ready, the ORS,” she said.
“Every department has people who are here in this building now activating, putting everything in place that’s going to be needed for the patients to be moved on June 2.”
Other services will also be available to the public at the new site on June 2, starting with the transfer of the emergency department at 6 a.m.
Some services, like laboratory, medical imaging and operating rooms, will be available at both sites while there are patients in both hospitals.
“Until the last patient moves out of the legacy hospital, we will have services available to those patients,” said Bellows.
MOVE PLAN
The 10-day move plan to transition from the old hospital to the new one will start on May 22.
During that time, the various departments at the old hospital will move to the new one in phases. The first phase will see non-patient carecentred things moved, such as offices.
As they approach the June 2 date for moving patients, more equipment from inpatient units will be moved.
Some equipment will be moved simultaneously with the patients because there will be pieces related to patient care that will have to wait until the last minute to be moved. That includes 50 beds that will be moved to the new site.
MRI MOVING
Some larger equipment will be moved later, including the MRI currently at the old, or legacy, site.
A plan is in place to move the MRI over four to five days, Bellows said, because there is a lot involved in getting it out of the building.
MRI services won’t be disrupted, though, because a new machine is already in place at the new hospital. The two machines will improve MRI services on the west coast.
The western zone has also purchased quite a bit of equipment to have things that might be needed during the transition available at both buildings during move day.
TEAMS GETTING READY
As for moving patients, Bellows said several teams were assembled a couple of months ago and meet weekly to prepare for what will need to be done.
“A lot of staff are volunteering. They want to be part of it. They want to come to work that day and help us,” she said.
The teams consist of transfer RNS, respiratory therapists, physicians, housekeeping teams, lift team and paramedics.
The group has been working with a consultant that has been involved with hospital moves globally and has been helpful in providing insight on how the process works, Bellows said.
TEST RUN
A practice transfer was done in March where three mock patients — one from ICU, a mother and baby, and a surgical patient — were moved from the old hospital to the new one.
Bellows said the mock transfers gave the teams the opportunity to learn from the process and to find out how long it will take to transfer a patient.
The layout of the new hospital will provide the teams with easier access, including larger elevators and covered areas for ambulances to keep patients out of the weather.
MOVING PATIENTS
Bellows said every patient in a bed, including long-term-care patients, at the legacy site will be moved on June 2.
“There won’t be any inpatients left in the legacy site.”
They won’t know until the week prior how many patients will have to be moved, but are preparing to move at capacity just in case.
“We are prepared to move 164 patients,” she said.
There will be efforts to reduce the number of patients in the old building prior to the move day, including discharges where possible, sending patients out on passes and a reduction in some surgical procedures a week or so before.
Visitation will also be suspended until the move is complete.
‘I CAN’T WAIT FOR IT TO HAPPEN’
Although there is a lot of work ahead, Bellows is excited.
“I can’t wait for it to happen, just to see how it all plays out.
“I think that we’re ready. I think that all the patients will be moved in a safe manner and we have a lot of highly trained and knowledgeable people involved in this move who are going to get us through it.”
After being with the western zone (previously Western Health) for about 34 years, Bellows said being a part of the move is a once-in-acareer opportunity.