News Release

NEW HOSPITAL'S FOCUS: EFFICIENCY, QUALITY, FRIENDLINESS

Feb. 23, 2005 — Efficient delivery of quality care in a patient-friendly environment.

This is the focus of the new UPMC Northwest hospital that opened in October, and it’s a focus the hospital chose for one reason: to ensure the satisfaction of patients and visitors. Every feature of the new hospital exists with this in mind.

The visually-pleasing building and grounds welcome everyone to the new UPMC Northwest in Seneca. Plentiful free parking (950 spaces) and multiple entrances (four) make facilities readily accessible to patients and visitors. There’s a convenient outpatient diagnostic center for the many patients who need outpatient laboratory and imaging exams.

Private rooms foster restful recovery for inpatients, and comfortable facilities for visitors make visiting a pleasant experience too. State-of-the-art treatment technology equips UPMC Northwest better than ever to meet patients’ needs.

The new four-story UPMC Northwest hospital has 96 private rooms, including 30 that can be converted for semi-private occupancy, yielding as many as 126 beds. A one-story, 28-bed behavioral health building adjoins the new hospital.

Future construction will bring more facilities to the new hospital site, including UPMC Northwest’s inpatient rehabilitation and transitional care units and a physician office building.

New Technology, Private Rooms, and More

Here’s a closer look at the new hospital:

• Ground floor – The new Radiation Oncology Unit (Cancer Center) has powerful new weapons to fight cancer, the cafeteria has expanded menu selections for employees and visitors, there’s a Learning Resource Center with numerous educational resources for patients and staff, and an inviting landscaped outdoor courtyard.
   
• First floor – Efficiency, quality and patient-friendliness are especially evident on this floor, which houses more patient care facilities – mostly outpatient – than any other. The Routine Diagnostic Center (for outpatient blood tests, X-rays and similar procedures), Emergency Department, Major Diagnostic Center (for more complex imaging procedures including CT, MRI, and cardiac catheterizations, which UPMC Northwest soon will offer), Surgery/Procedures Center and Family Birthing Center all occupy this floor, along with the Main Lobby.
  
  A reassuring environment, private rooms and accommodating facilities for visitors characterize both the second and third floors, which house mostly inpatient services.

• Second floor – On this floor, the Intermediate Unit has expanded telemetry capabilities, the Stroke Service provides specialized care for brain attack (stroke) patients, and the Intensive Care Unit meets the needs of up to eight patients who require critical care.
   
• Third floor – This floor houses the Oncology Unit that maintains UPMC Northwest’s tradition of excellence in cancer care, along with the Medical Unit, Surgical/Pediatrics Unit, and the hospital’s Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy department.

Advancing Behavioral Health Care

Expanded facilities, patient-specific units, enhanced staffing, and a focus on adolescents define UPMC Northwest’s new Behavioral Health building.

With the 28-bed facility, the hospital can provide care for almost twice as many inpatients as in its previous location. The building features a separate unit for teenage patients and specialized therapeutic programs for adults and geriatric patients. Several additional staff members strengthen the unit’s treatment capabilities.

Innovation

Innovation is evident throughout the new UPMC Northwest:

• Stentor iSite Digital Imaging System – This state-of-the-art imaging system stores x-ray, CT, MRI and other images electronically, eliminating traditional X-ray films. Doctors can view images instantaneously from computers anywhere in the hospital and in their offices. If patients need copies of images, it’s as easy as burning them onto a CD.
   
• Responder Nurse Call System – In contrast to traditional nurse call arrangements that use intercoms and overhead paging, this system utilizes pocket pagers, wireless phones and other technology to improve call response and create a quieter environment.
   
• Translogic Pneumatic Tube System – This system provides high-speed delivery of medications, lab specimens and other items throughout the facility.
   
• AcuDose Medication Management System – This leading edge pharmacy technology automates acquisition and dispensing of drugs, making the process safer and faster.
   
• HALO Infant Protection System – The HALO system uses electronic ID/security technology to ensure the safety of newborns in the birthing center.

The new hospital “marks a new beginning for health care in Venango County and surrounding communities,” said UPMC Northwest president Neil Todhunter. “Ensuring the satisfaction of our patients is one of our foremost objectives, and the new building’s superb facilities equip us well to achieve this goal.”