Sturdy Memorial Hospital

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - SMH PLANS TO ADDRESS THE CHRONIC OVERCROWDING, INEFFICIENT USE OF RESOURCES AND LESS THAN IDEAL SPACE FOR HOLDING MENTAL / BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PATIENTS WAITING FOR TRANSITION TO A MORE APPROPRIATE CARE SITE IN THE CURRENT EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT (ED) BY BUILDING AN ADDITION TO THE HOSPITAL TO SERVE AS A NEW ED. THE RELOCATED AND EXPANDED EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WILL INCLUDE 50 TOTAL TREATMENT ROOMS INCLUDING A SECURE 12 ROOM DEDICATED BEHAVIOR HEALTH SUB-UNIT. THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (BH) UNIT WILL HAVE TWELVE SECURE HOLDING ROOMS WITH A CENTRAL NURSE STATION. MEDICALLY CLEARED BH PATIENTS WILL COME FROM EITHER THE TRIAGE OR THE EMS VESTIBULE DIRECTLY TO THE SECURE HOLDING INTAKE ROOMS, WHERE THEY WILL UNDERGO THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SCREENING PROCESS, WHICH INCLUDES A SECURITY SCREENING AND RELINQUISHMENT OF THEIR PERSONAL BELONGINGS (WHICH ARE STORED IN A LOCKED BH PATIENT STORAGE ROOM OFF THE INTAKE ROOM). DURING THE INTAKE PROCESS, BH PATIENTS WILL ALSO CHANGE OUT OF THEIR STREET CLOTHING TO DEDICATED SCRUBS IN THE INTAKE ROOM AND THEN BE PLACED IN THE SECURE HOLDING ROOMS. TWO OF THE SECURE ROOMS WILL BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE A LIGATURE-RESISTANT STRETCHED FOR ELDERLY PATIENTS WHO ARE UNABLE TO USE THE PLATFORM BEDS IN THE OTHER ROOMS SAFELY, OR FOR BH PATIENTS WHO MUST BE RESTRAINED AND ARE LIKELY TO BE TRANSPORTED ELSEWHERE QUICKLY. ALL OF THE SECURE ROOMS ARE CONFIGURED WITH A TOUCHDOWN SEAT ON THE CORRIDOR SIDE WITH A WINDOW LOOKING INTO THE ROOM FOR USE BY A SITTER. THIS UNIT IS A LOCKED UNIT THAT MAINTAINS A CONNECTION TO THE MAIN ED VIA TWO SEPARATE CORRIDORS, BOTH OF WHICH FEED THE THREE FLEXIBLE BH EXAM ROOMS. ALL SPACES IN THE UNIT HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED A SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT LEVEL AND ARE DESIGNED TO THE APPROPRIATE LIGATURE-RESISTANT SAFETY LEVEL. THE UNIT IS EQUIPPED WITH ONE TOILET ROOM AND ONE TOILET/SHOWER ROOM FOR PATIENT USE. THE STAFF WORKSTATION SERVING THIS UNIT WILL BE FULLY ENCLOSED BY IMPACT-RESISTANT GLASS AND IS SERVED BY A BA CK DOOR THAT CONNECTS TO THE MAIN ED. ALL CAMERA MONITORING FOR THE SECURE SUITE IS OBSERVED BY SECURITY AT A DEDICATED SEAT WITHIN THIS MAIN WORKSTATION. THERE IS ALSO A DESKTOP MEDICATION OMNICELL WITHIN THE STAFF WORKSTATION THAT IS DEDICATED TO BH PATIENTS. THE SUITE HAS A DEDICATED NOURISHMENT ROOM THAT HAS BOTH A BACK DOOR FROM THE MAIN ED AND A DOOR WITHIN THE SUITE FOR STAFF ACCESS SO THAT DIETARY DOES NOT HAVE TO ENTER THE UNIT.