Building for the Future

October, 2009

HSS Responds to Increase in Demand for Services – Building Begins!

Patients are seeking Special Surgery’s services in record numbers, with a rise of more than 60% in the past decade. So far in 2009 there has been an increase of almost 10% inpatient admissions when compared to the same time period last year. To meet this demand and continue to provide world-class care, Special Surgery embarked on a plan to create more operating rooms; more patient rooms; and better access to ancillary services.

Thanks to the generosity of our dedicated Board, medical staff, grateful patients and friends, Building on Success: The Campaign for the Future of HSS has enabled us to embark on the next critical phase in the expansion of our facilities. This summer, the building expansion kicked off with three new floors over the East Wing. The goal is to expand without interruption to patient care. 

“This is an exciting time for Hospital for Special Surgery with changes in many different areas to better accommodate patients and their families,” said Louis A. Shapiro, President and CEO. “The construction project is vital to our ability to continue to provide the first rate patient care for which HSS is so well known,” he continued. 

A new ninth floor will serve as the home for HSS’s renowned pediatric rehabilitation department. Features will include a large physical therapy gymnasium that will overlook the East River and facilities for occupational, fine motor skills, sensory integration, and speech therapies. Another feature of the ninth floor will be a relocated and enlarged Hospital pharmacy.  

Plans for the Hospital’s new tenth and eleventh floors include the addition of an inpatient unit, which will include private rooms as well as rooms designed to accommodate two patients. These units will provide patients with the best possible environment by locating the patient rooms around a central staff/support core and providing each room with river-oriented views. 

Approximately 80% of Americans aged 65 and older suffer from a chronic condition, such as arthritis, that imposes limitations on their day-to-day lives. This segment of the population is rapidly growing, and will represent nearly 20% of the total U.S. population by 2030.

“The additional space will allow HSS to stay ahead of the curve and will ensure that the patient experience is an even better one,” said Lisa Goldstein, Chief Operating Officer.

Other Improvements

Additional important renovations to enhance the patient experience are continuing throughout the Hospital to complement the major construction.

• The Pain Management Center has been relocated to the seventh floor of the Belaire building in a newly-designed space that maximizes efficiency and provides a peaceful environment for our patients. The Center is now in the same location as the offices of our six pain management physicians, making it easier to access for more than 6,000 pain management patients each year who seek our help.
  
• Renovations to the third floor have occurred in stages to limit any interruptions to patient care. A major improvement to (continued on page 8) this area is the expansion of pre-surgical screening. The great majority of patients are cleared for surgery in this area. The new pre-surgical screening area is 4,200 square feet, nearly twice the previous size. With nine exam rooms and five admitting bays, it will be able to accommodate up to 150 patients per day, offer greater patient privacy, improve efficiency and reduce waiting time.
  
• The Hospital lobby and main entrance have been redesigned and expanded and offer some new features (see PULSE, page 5). When patients and visitors arrive at the Hospital they enter a bright new lobby with an expansive wall made of glass, providing the space with a feeling of openness. Expanded seating areas are accented by light colored woods and ceiling panels. The area also contains a new reception desk, coffee kiosk, and patient transport area as well as a prominently featured donor wall.
  
• A Children’s Pavilion, HSS’s new musculoskeletal pediatric “hospital within a hospital,” will span the East and West Wings of the fifth floor and include the Pediatric Rehabilitation Center on the ninth floor. The 34,000 square feet of renovated and newly-constructed space will address the specialized needs of families with small children and adolescents alike, in a warm, cheerful environment designed specially for young patients.
  
• A Center for Hip Pain and Preservation was established this year with the goal of treating young, active adults suffering from hip pain. The Center includes surgeons and non-operating physicians all focused on preserving the hip joint over the long term.
  
• The Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service is also undergoing a renovation which will create a more sports-centered environment for doctor visits and therapy appointments, as well as for those who visit the Sports Performance Center. The addition of an eighth MRI in the Hospital is scheduled for later this year. “All of these improvements allow us to meet the Hospital’s mission – to provide the highest quality patient care, improve mobility, and enhance the quality of life for all,” said Thomas P. Sculco, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief.

Construction Update: November 2009

During the month of November, with structural steel being completed, the pouring of concrete began. If you look up you should still be able to see the white ceremonial beam in place that was signed during the topping-out event held in October.

The project continues on schedule and on budget.

Read Echo, the HSS staff newsletter, each month for more details and construction updates.
 

Read more about our expansion on our Building for the Future: News Archives page.