Southwest General Hospital Dedicates $30 Million Expansion

Southwest General Hospital held a dedication ceremony for the completion of its 30 million dollar expansion project on Wednesday, August 29 at 10 am.

In The BirthPlace, the hospital’s maternity center, the expansion added six additional labor, delivery, and recovery (LDR) suites, increasing existing capacity to 17 rooms. In addition, 14 postpartum suites were constructed, bringing capacity from 20 rooms to 34 rooms. The Level III Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit will increase from a 10 bed unit to a 34 bed unit utilizes the entire second floor of The BirthPlace. The project has added approximately 26,920 square feet to The BirthPlace.

In Surgical Services, three state-of-the-art digital operating suites were constructed, featuring:

• Touch-screen and voice-activated control of operating room equipment, including lights, monitors, surgical cameras and plasma screens, giving surgeons instantaneous control over the operating room environment.
• Boom technology that suspends surgical equipment and monitors from the ceiling, allowing the surgical team freedom of movement and eliminating the usual clutter and hazard of cords on the operating room floor.
• Monitors positioned at or above eye level to improve surgeon comfort, especially helpful in lengthy operations.
• Broadcast capabilities for videotape archiving of surgical procedures and live broadcasts to remote locations around the world, allowing real-time communication between the surgeon and doctors in other areas.

Ambulatory surgery and recovery rooms were also part of the new expansion.

“We have a great medical staff and great employees here at Southwest General. We want to support them and this community by providing a facility that will enhance our ability to deliver quality care to all of our patients. By adding more capacity to The BirthPlace and updating our operating rooms, it allows us to meet the health care demands of our community,” said CEO Richard Gonzalez.