State-of-the-art Neuro ICU launches at new Parkland Memorial Hospital
Healing design concepts, high tech help neuro patients recover
“I was worried and leery when Alex was brought here,” said Wallace Chapman, 68, of Dallas, speaking about his partner Alex Mazón, who was hospitalized when he suffered a stroke. Mazón was one of the first patients admitted to the new Parkland Memorial Hospital Neuro Intensive Care Unit after it opened on Nov. 16, 2015. “I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals so I know what to look out for. But I quickly saw how fantastic the care is at Parkland. This is their calling – they really care about taking care of people.”
“Neuro patients are some of the most medically complex in any acute care hospital,” said Christiana Hall, MD, Medical Director, Neuroscience ICU at Parkland and Associate Professor of Neurology, Neurotherapeutics and Neurosurgery at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “Parkland’s Neuro ICU cares for patients with conditions ranging from epilepsy, stroke, head trauma, aneurysms and brain tumors to diseases of the brain, spine and nervous system, including ALS, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis, among others.”
“Like many older hospitals, Parkland’s previous neuro intensive care unit was crowded with equipment, nurses, doctors, respiratory technologists and other professionals taking care of several very sick patients in a congested and often noisy area,” Dr. Hall said. “There wasn’t much room for family members. And although the care provided was excellent, the environment was not ideal. Now we have a perfect match of care excellence paired with a healing, family-friendly environment.”
Kelly Heathman, RN, Director of Nursing, Neuroscience, agreed. “In the new Neuro ICU, every patient has a private room, nursing is decentralized, care teams have ample work space, and the overall environment is serene, family-friendly and patient-focused.”
The new Parkland is a state-of-the-art teaching hospital offering 870 single patient rooms, advanced technology and an energy-efficient design that integrates patient-focused healing concepts. Yet with all its high-tech capabilities, Dr. Hall said, the human touch remains central to Parkland’s mission of providing quality healthcare.
Evidence based design and advanced technology features of the new Parkland Neuro ICU include:
• Single patient rooms, private bathroom with shower and a family area with sleep-sofa to encourage family involvement with their loved one’s care
• Each ICU room is equipped with ceiling-mounted booms designed to specifications of the Neuro ICU team that can be easily moved out of the way to facilitate care such as placing ventricular drains
• A dedicated CT scanner is located on the neuro unit, minimizing transport time and distance to imaging services to help ensure patient safety
• On-stage, off-stage design model provides a more private, quiet and safe environment for patients and their families and maximizes efficiency for staff
• Advanced technology includes “smart” rooms and “smart” beds that can weigh patients, alert staff when a patient attempts to get out of bed, etc.
• Footwall TVs in every patient room integrate with hospital systems and allow patients to , link to nurse call system, view educational materials, access their electronic medical record (EMR), communicate with their doctor in real time, see upcoming appointments, communicate with dietary to order or view meals, and more
• Nurses and physicians carry special phones, allowing secure texting of protected health information, eliminating the need for time-consuming paging and callback
• Open work areas facilitate staff interactions across all neuroscience disciplines, enhancing patient care and safety
“The quality of the new Parkland physical plant and technology allows us to treat a wide variety of patients, many of whom have rare conditions that would not be seen in other neuro training centers,” said Michael Rubin, MD, Neuro-Intensivist at Parkland and Assistant Professor of Neurology & Neurotherapeutics at UT Southwestern. “And the appreciation we get from patients and families is very heartening. It’s one of the reasons many of us choose to practice at Parkland. Our patients make us grow and we are grateful for it.”
Chapman and Mazón are looking forward to leaving Parkland soon, but despite the health challenges they’ve faced together, they count themselves lucky to have been cared for at Parkland. “I am so grateful. It’s been an amazing experience,” Chapman said.
In 2015, Parkland received the Stroke Gold Plus–Target: Stroke Elite Award through the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association. For more information about Parkland services, visit www.parklandhospital.com
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