USA Health this week received state permission to renovate two floors of its University Hospital and add 65 beds.
Construction on the $15.2 million project is slated to begin this year and be complete by the end of 2021.
“As the region’s only Level I Trauma Center and home to the only regional burn unit and the area’s first comprehensive stroke center, it is so important that we have capacity to meet the growing needs of our community,” said Owen Bailey, MHA, FACHE, chief executive officer of USA Health. “These additional beds will ensure our capacity to provide our unique services to the people who come to us for care, even during public health emergencies like the Covid-19 pandemic.”
USA Health plans to renovate the 10th and 11th floors of the hospital to create medical/surgical and critical care patient suites. Each floor will include two isolation rooms, four Americans with Disabilities Act compliant rooms, nursing stations and common areas.
“This will enable us to upgrade the mechanical systems, including HVAC units and electrical controls, throughout University Hospital,” said Sam Dean, hospital administrator. When complete, the hospital will have added 111 beds since 2017.
Earlier this year the hospital opened an expanded gastroenterology lab, doubling its capacity, and it expects to open the Fanny Meisler Trauma Center this fall. The trauma center also will more than double in size.
Upgrades and expansions received $4 million from the state’s economic development bond issues and $5 million from local philanthropist Bert Meisler. The facility is named in honor of Meisler’s late wife.
