At Washington County Hospital, we know it’s a simple idea and an important one: doctors, nurses, and other caregivers deserve the best possible working environment - a place where they can concentrate on caring for their patients.

That’s difficult to do at the current hospital site. It was built in the 1930s, before computers, new family-centered patient care models, and advanced surgical procedures. Our hard-working medical staff, healthcare providers, and other employees deserve a modern hospital that provides the tools they need to care for their patients.

A new hospital adjacent to the Robinwood Medical Center will improve the working life for these time-pressured caregivers. They will have more time to be with their patients and their patients’ families, guiding them back to health. Here’s why . . .

In the new hospital, the emergency room will be almost twice as large as the current one, giving patients and their care providers the privacy they need. There even will be seven rooms reserved just for children.

In the new facility, we will have a newborn special care unit so our tiniest patients can stay right in their own community for care. Their pediatricians as well as mom and dad can be at their side day or night.

Units that work closely together will be near each other in the new hospital. For example, the emergency department and the inpatient behavioral health service will be side-by-side. Inpatient and outpatient surgery, the heart lab, and the maternity unit will all be close to each other on the second floor.

For the most part, patients’ medical records will be updated electronically. For patients on the critical care units, their vital signs will be posted in their charts right from their monitors. Lab work, medications, and the results of diagnostic imaging will be electronically entered into the record. Every caregiver will have access to the most up-to-date patient information that is so critical in making treatment decisions.

A representative from nutrition, social services, pharmacy, and case management will be housed on each unit, where they will be closer to their patients. They will share a large room with dedicated work stations, allowing them better access to other unit team members including the nurses caring for their patients.

Each patient room will be larger, making it easier for healthcare providers to work. Many treatments will be provided right in the patient’s room so nursing staff won’t have to transport patients as often. That means they can spend more time caring for the patients on their unit.

In the new hospital, the dining room will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week - a benefit everyone can enjoy. Staff and visitors will be able to order pancakes, French toast or eggs from the grill in the early morning hours.

Caring for those who care for us is one of the most important jobs we can take on as a community. These hard-working, dedicated healthcare professionals deserve a facility that makes their jobs easier. And, we believe the best facility for them is a new hospital adjacent to Robinwood Medical Center.