Ace Barber Unit converted for pandemic

Wednesday 8 April 2020: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) today announces that all 30 rooms of the Ace Barber Unit in the Acute Care Wing have been converted to negative pressure rooms. This upgrade dramatically decreases the possibility of infection spreading on the ward.

Creating a negative pressure within a room results in the air being confined to that room. The Acute Care Wing opened with two negative pressure rooms on each of its three units and two in the Emergency Department.

These rooms have always been used for patients with infectious conditions – patients who require isolation. They are commonly referred to as isolation rooms.

Black & McDonald, facilities managers of the Acute Care Wing, were able to increase the number of negative pressure rooms through the automated building management system.

“Staff and patient safety is our first priority, having negative pressure rooms enhances our ability to do this,” said BHB Chief of Staff Michael Richmond.  “This is one of several projects we have underway as we prepare for a possible surge in COVID-19 patients.”