Southcoast Health System Inc

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - IN OCTOBER 2021, ST. LUKE’S HOSPITAL IN NEW BEDFORD, MA, RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO OPEN THE FIRST AND ONLY LEVEL II TRAUMA CENTER IN MASSACHUSETTS’ EMS REGION 5, WHICH ENCOMPASSES ALMOST 1,750 SQUARE MILES. THIS NEW LEVEL II TRAUMA CENTER AT ST. LUKE’S HOSPITAL PROVIDES SERVICES TO THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES SO THAT INJURED PATIENTS, EMS PROVIDERS, AND PATIENTS’ FAMILIES NO LONGER MUST TRAVEL TO BOSTON OR RHODE ISLAND TO RECEIVE TRAUMA CARE. VICTIMS OF TRAUMATIC INJURIES ARE IN A RACE AGAINST TIME – THE TRAUMA “GOLDEN HOUR” IS THE FIRST 60 MINUTES AFTER A TRAUMATIC INJURY DURING WHICH THERE IS THE HIGHEST LIKELIHOOD THAT PROMPT MEDICAL AND SURGICAL TREATMENT WILL PREVENT DEATH AND PRIOR TO THE OPENING OF ST. LUKE’S LEVEL II TRAUMA CENTER, VICTIMS OF TRAUMA IN SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS WERE TRANSPORTED UPWARDS OF 60-90 MINUTES NOT ONLY OUT OF THE REGION BUT OFTEN OUT OF THE STATE WHEN THEIR LIVES ARE ON THE LINE. BASED ON AN ANALYSIS OF THE AREA’S NEED, ST. LUKE’S HOSPITAL ANTICIPATES THAT IT WILL HANDLE A VOLUME OF 1,000 TRAUMA PATIENTS A YEAR. ST. LUKE’S HAS RECRUITED TRAUMA FELLOWSHIP TRAINED SURGEONS/SURGICAL CRITICAL CARE PROVIDERS (DOUBLE BOARDED IN SURGERY AND SURGICAL CRITICAL CARE) AND HAS INVESTED IN EDUCATION, TRAINING, EQUIPMENT, AND SUPPLIES ACROSS THE HOSPITAL (NURSING, ANCILLARY SERVICES) TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY TRAUMA CARE FOR THE REGION. THE HOSPITAL IS NOW IN THE FINAL STAGES OF EXPANDING ITS CAPACITY BY UPGRADING SPACES AND EQUIPMENT TO MEET TRAUMA CENTER STANDARDS. THIS PROJECT IS PART OF SOUTHCOAST HEALTH’S ONGOING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WITH THE GOAL OF MAINTAINING THE QUALITY OF CARE AVAILABLE TO THE VULNERABLE PATIENTS ST. LUKE’S SERVES. NEW BEDFORD IS THE SIXTH LARGEST CITY IN MASSACHUSETTS AND HAS THE SIXTH LOWEST PER CAPITA INCOME IN THE COMMONWEALTH; OVER 20 PERCENT OF ITS POPULATION LIVES IN POVERTY. THIS EXPANSION OF SERVICES WILL PROMOTE HEALTH EQUITY BY E NSURING RESIDENTS OF NEW BEDFORD AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO LIFE-SAVING IMMEDIATE SPECIALIZED TRAUMA CARE. CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE NEW TRAUMA CENTER ST. LUKE’S HOSPITAL (SLH), PART OF SOUTHCOAST HOSPITALS GROUP, INC., HAS BEGUN TO RENOVATE INTERIOR SPACES IN THE EXISTING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AT SLH LOCATED AT 101 PAGE STREET, NEW BEDFORD, MA. THE EXISTING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT IS APPROXIMATELY 30,374 SF LOCATED AT GRADE WITHIN A MULTI-STORY STRUCTURE ON CAMPUS. THE PROJECT PROPOSES TO EXPAND ONE OF THE EXISTING TRAUMA ROOMS INTO ADJACENT SPACES TO PROVIDE A ROOM WITH THREE (3) TRAUMA BAYS IN ADDITION TO THE ONE EXISTING TRAUMA ROOM, ENABLING THE FACILITY TO PROVIDE TRAUMA SERVICES FOR UP TO FOUR (4) PATIENTS AT ONE TIME. THE RENOVATION WILL ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL STORAGE DEDICATED FOR THE TRAUMA ROOM(S), DIRECT CONNECTION TO CT IMAGING, AND INCREASE/IMPROVE THE CURRENT CLEAN SUPPLY/STORAGE FOR THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. THE ED WILL BE RENOVATED IN MULTIPLE PHASES OUTLINED BELOW. EXISTING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: 30,374 GROSS SQUARE FEET (GSF) AREA OF RENOVATION: 2,815 NET SQUARE FEET (NSF) EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT SMOKE COMPARTMENT(S): 20566 GSF AND 9748 GSF PROJECT DESCRIPTION THE PROPOSED PROJECT PROVIDES INCREASED TRAUMA CARE CAPACITY, IMPROVES DEPARTMENT STORAGE NEEDS, INCREASES STAFF TOUCHDOWN SPACES, AND IMPROVES DEPARTMENT EFFICIENCIES. THE PROJECT INCLUDES MEP DISTRIBUTION MODIFICATIONS AND UPGRADES TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM. CONSTRUCTION PHASING THE PROJECT WILL CONSIST OF THREE PHASES, PHASE 1, PHASE 2, AND PHASE 3. IN PHASE 1, THE RENOVATION WILL TAKE OVER UNDERUTILIZED SPACES THAT WILL BE RENOVATED TO BE TWO (2) NEW TREATMENT ROOMS, A CENTRALIZED CLEAN STORAGE FOR THE ED, AND ADDITIONAL STAFF STATIONS FOR WORK ZONES. ONCE THE TWO NEW TREATMENT ROOMS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PATIENT CARE, PHASE TWO WILL RENOVATE TWO EXISTING TREATMENT ROOMS TO BECOME A