Children’s Hospital New Orleans celebrated the opening of its all new, expanded Surgery Center, serving patients from across Louisiana and the Gulf South in a child-friendly environment that integrates each phase of the surgical experience.
“The new Surgery Center at Children’s Hospital is an extraordinary space that now matches the level of care provided by our expert team of pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, nursing, and other perioperative services team members,” said John R. Nickens IV, president and chief executive officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “What we have built for the children of Louisiana is transformational.” The 57,000 square foot Surgery Center includes a spacious lobby and waiting area for families on the second floor of the new Medical Tower, leading to a 23-bed Same Day Surgery Unit with all-private patient rooms, which will expand to 42 patient rooms at the completion of phase two of the expansion next spring. Two private consultation rooms bridge the unit and OR to allow for quick consults between physicians and parents. A spacious 17-bay Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) is located directly next to the Same Day Surgery Unit with easy access for families immediately before and after the child’s surgery. The PACU will gain an additional seven bays in phase two of the project. “The design of the new Surgery Center allows us to keep the family, care team, and patient close at all times,” said Jamie Wiggins, DNS(C), RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, senior vice president and chief nursing officer. “Families come across the skybridge and enter right into the surgical reception area. They will now experience check-in, the pre-operative process, surgery, and recovery all in the same location.”
The center features 12 expansive Operating Rooms (ORs), including an OR dedicated to the Da Vinci robot, two cardiac catheterization labs, and two special procedure suites for endoscopy and bronchoscopy. The ORs surround a large Sterile Core with direct access to Sterile Processing and Central Sterile supply. The ORs are equipped with the latest technology and data integration capabilities, including customizable GE Carescape patient monitors, outfitted with innovative anesthesia and post anesthesia software, and measurement capabilities. The monitors help optimize patient care and throughput while supporting clinical decisions, enhanced outcomes, and continuous monitoring at every step of the perioperative journey.
Advanced data integration technology allows surgeons and other members of the care team to manage information, visualization, and communication to and from the OR, and across the hospital. The ORs also feature 4K surgical video installations, which help surgeons see anatomical features in unprecedented detail. The ORs also feature Skytron Stellar XL LED surgical lights and Ergon series booms, creating highly maneuverable platforms with bright, clear illumination in a system that that is safe and reliable, with the versatility to handle the most complex pediatric procedures.
“I’ve seen a lot of operating rooms and I can say with confidence, that the facilities here at Children’s Hospital New Orleans are as nice, as well-organized, as spacious, and as technologically advanced as you’ll find anywhere,” says Ellis Arjmand, MD, MMM, PhD, surgeon in chief at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “What our team has built here in New Orleans advances care for children and families across Louisiana and the Gulf South.”
The Surgery Center also includes a new, 6,000 square foot Sterile Processing department located directly adjacent to the operating rooms. A designated “dirty” elevator brings soiled instrument carts directly to decontamination from surgery. A linear three-zone design includes decontamination, clean assembly, and sterile storage. State-of-the-art equipment provides high level thermal disinfection and greatly increases efficiency. Clean case carts then travel to the Sterile Core by a designated ‘clean’ elevator for staging.