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The 140,000 square-foot tower of brick and glass is being built across the front of the hospital's existing main entrance on Tate Springs Road. Construction of the state-of-the-art facility is scheduled to be completed in 2007.
The new building includes 108 private patient rooms and is designed to be patient and family-friendly yet still accommodate the advanced equipment and technology needed to care for today's patients.
"This project is a major milestone and a tangible symbol of our continued commitment to providing exceptional care to patients throughout the central Virginia region," said George W. Dawson, Centra Health president and CEO. "Not only will this allow us to offer advanced technologies, but we've taken the time to design everything with our patients and their families in mind."
The construction project brings dedicated nursing floors for Centra Health's cornerstone programs such as advanced orthopedics and neurological care, oncology care and surgery care. Each floor will include 36 private rooms for patients and their families. The tower rooms will be wired for a future move to a digital, computerized environment such as electronic patient records, and be designed to include the latest in patient monitoring equipment.
The cost of the patient care area is estimated at approximately $69 million, and would not be possible without donations from both members of the Centra Health family and the community. "Without staff and community support, this tower would not be built," said George Hurt, chairman of the Centra Health Foundation Board of Directors. "This project will become a reality through the donations of the many people who share a vision of excellence in the future of healthcare in our community."
The project will include:
07/20/2004
Centra Health unveiled plans and architects' renderings Tuesday for a new five-story patient care tower at Lynchburg General Hospital to meet the growing demand for services from patients in the region. The 140,000 square-foot tower of brick and glass will include 108 patient rooms. The addition will be built across the front of the hospital's existing main entrance on Tate Springs Road. Construction of the state-of-the-art facility is scheduled to begin at the end of the year and be completed in 2007.
The new building is designed to be patient and family-friendly yet still accommodate the advanced equipment and technology needed to care for today's patients. Architects and planners listened to central Virginia physicians, nurses, health care providers and former patients to develop the best design for patients and their families.
"This project is essential for us to meet the growing demand for services, and to continue to be the regional center for emergency and critical care medicine," said George W. Dawson, Centra Health president and CEO. "Not only will this allow us to offer advanced technologies, but we've taken the time to design everything with our patients and their families in mind."
"Over the years we've become a regional health care center serving all central and southside Virginia, and the bed tower will help us meet the needs of those patients," said Rodger W. Fauber, Centra Health board chairman. "We know patients recover faster when family members and the people they love are involved. The new construction will allow us to offer hospitalized patients private rooms that are comfortable for patients and visitors."
William H. (Bill) Varner, Centra Health vice president, said: "We know patients' environments contribute to their healing and recovery. The new design centers on making patients and their families feel comfortable and at home while they are in the hospital."
The new front entrance, main lobby and cafeteria area will be more convenient for patients' families and visitors. During construction, the main entrance will close for more than two years, and visitors will enter the hospital through the Thomson Drive terrace entrance. Centra Health planners had expected to construct a parking deck, but changed their minds after being asked by the Academy of Fine Arts to purchase the property it was vacating on Thomson Drive. Centra Health plans to raze the Thomson Drive building and use the property for parking. It is essential to have the additional parking available prior to the start of the project because the footprint of the new building will eliminate as many as 100 parking spaces and another 100 spaces will be lost for the duration of the project to serve as site staging and supply storage.
In addition to the patient care area, the project also will include renovation of 65,000 square feet of space at Lynchburg General Hospital, with an emphasis on improved patient care support areas.
The cost of the patient care tower is estimated at approximately $64 million. "Completing this ambitious project will not be possible without raising funds from both members of the Centra Health family and from the community at large," said Kathryn Pumphrey, executive vice president of the Centra Health Foundation. "Currently we are raising funds from the Centra Health family, and we plan to kick-off the public phase in early 2005."
