Penn Medicine announced that 120 patient rooms at its newest hospital, the Pavilion, will be made available for patient care this April—a full 15 months ahead of schedule—in response to an anticipated surge of patients affected by COVID-19.
Construction crews have been working around the clock to expedite the completion of these patient rooms, which were originally slated to be made available in July 2021. Once operational, these rooms will serve to expand overall bed availability at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
This emergency accelerated construction will increase Penn Medicine’s capacity to care during an expected period of high need. After the anticipated COVID-19 surge has subsided, these rooms will close, and full construction on the Pavilion will resume on a new timeline.
Adapting to Changing Circumstances
The Pavilion is being built to respond to fluctuating needs in medical care. Through a multitude of innovative features designed to enhance and improve the patient experience, this forward-thinking hospital facility advances Penn’s commitment to revolutionizing health care and creating spaces that drive solutions.
An adaptable concept will allow each room’s layout to change based on patient needs. Medical staff can provide treatment for critical afflictions in a space laid out as an intensive care unit; then, the same space can serve as a general medical/surgical room, with a private bath for patients and comfortable space for visiting family and caregivers. As new medical innovations and patient needs arise in the future, these rooms are built to be easily modified to meet those as-yet unforeseen requirements.
Technology that Saves Lives
Responsible care for certain diseases—as we have seen with COVID-19—relies on limited physical contact between medical professionals and patients whose conditions may be highly contagious. In its final completed state, the Pavilion will be fully equipped to address such challenges through its broad range of telemedicine capabilities.
Medical staff will be able to remotely monitor patients’ vital information and provide consultations through video-conferencing technology. Patients will also be able to maintain connections with friends and family remotely from their rooms. These smart design features promise to provide comfort for patients while minimizing risk for others, though some of these functions will not be available until full construction is complete.
While these features employ distancing for improved outcomes, the close proximity of others will play a key role in improving treatment. The Pavilion will house imaging and surgical suites in the same building, allowing medical professionals to conduct faster, more collaborative work in a streamlined environment. Together, these design decisions represent a new frontier in responsive patient care at a time when this has never been more important.
Watch the video below for a virtual flythrough of public spaces within the Pavilion.
To support the expedited opening of the Pavilion, donors can give online to the Advanced Care Pavilion Building Fund.
SUPPORT THE PENN MEDICINE PAVILION
