Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 3, 2017

By Andrea Nagel Patients coming to the hospital for surgery have a different view these days. The new Surgical Services lobby, located directly above the main North Entrance lobby, provides a large, comfortable reception and waiting area with 85 seats. By the time the project is complete in 2018, the surgical department will grow from 17,350 square feet to 38,811 square feet. “The increased space and func- tionality being added to the surgical department is astounding,” said Derek Miller, director of Planning and Prop- erty Management at Kootenai Health. Open for Business The first phase of the Surgical Services expansion is now open Construction began in May 2016 and is estimated to be complete in the summer of 2018. $45.2 million Emergencydepartment Addition of 7,000 square feet in the emergency department Increase the emergency department to 38 rooms New emergency entrance, drop-off area and updated waiting room A new “results waiting area” that will provide a comfort- able space for patients who are waiting for test results A newly designed ambulance drop-off area that can handle five ambulances Surgical services The department will grow from 17,350 square feet to 38,811 square feet. Three additional operating rooms will be added for a total of 11. The post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) will grow from 11 bays to 17 bays. Pre-op/post-recovery unit will also be expanded from eight bays to 20 rooms. “Patients will now have private pre-op rooms, and the operating rooms themselves are nearly double the size of the existing ones.” Three of the new operating rooms are now being used. In order to maintain the desired level of functionality, the project is being completed in four main phases to avoid limiting the number of patients being served. “Both the emergency and surgical departments expansions are unique in that we need to maintain a certain level of patient care throughout the process,” Derek said. “Multiple phases are helping us maintain the level of care our patients expect.” Watch us grow! Track Kootenai Health’s expansion progress at KH.org/ expansion . Phase 2 Project Highlights 38 17 KH . ORG 5