Bermuda Hospitals Board Celebrates New Intensive Care Unit

Open House Showcases New Unit and Recognizes Donors for Support

The Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) held a grand opening ceremony today for its new state-of-the-art intensive care unit (ICU), which is designed according to international standards. The opening was an opportunity to showcase the ICU and to thank the Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda, the Kardias Club of Bermuda and Windjammer Gallery for their generous donations towards the new unit. The ICU, located on the second floor of King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, will be open for patients on December 21, 2004.

“This bright, spacious, high-tech unit will enhance our hospital’s capacity to meet the needs of patients requiring intensive care,” said Joan Dillas-Wright, chief executive officer of the Bermuda Hospitals Board. “I am very pleased that we can now provide excellent care for these patients in a first-class environment that is comfortable and modern.”

Improvements to the ICU include:

Increase in the size of patient rooms to a minimum of 250 square feet
Increase in the number of patient rooms to nine
Natural light in every patient room, which has been shown to improve patient recovery time
Isolation capacity via negative air pressure for patients with infectious diseases including vestibules to control air flow and independent air exhaust
State-of-the-art equipment, including ceiling-mounted movable columns containing additional medical gases, nurse call devices, electrical and communication requirements
Integral dialysis capacity in all patient rooms
Music system with individual sound control in every patient room
Lounge for visiting family and friends, in addition to a staff lounge
Addition of a patient room suitable for children (includes a ceiling with a fiber optic display that can be activated to show stars and planets)
Increase in size and flexibility of nurses’ station
An environment that is easy to clean and allows for good infection control
A multidisciplinary team that included nurses, doctors, dieticians, pharmacists, occupational therapists, biomedical staff, unit clerks, environmental staff and a physiotherapist was instrumental in the planning and design of the new unit.

“The completion of the new intensive care unit is an important step towards achieving our goal of excellence in patient care,” said Jonathan Brewin, chairman of the Bermuda Hospitals Board. “The Bermuda Hospitals Board is extremely grateful to the Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda, Kardias Club of Bermuda and Windjammer Gallery for their generous donations, and also to our own staff for their patience and commitment throughout this building process.”

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