Cape Cod Healthcare building $180M patient tower, investing in EHR
Infrastructure work on the tower will likely begin next month, with completion predicted to take place during the spring of 2022.
Cape Hod Healthcare in Hyannis, MA (Google Earth)
On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Cape Cod Hospital, CCHC this year will break ground on a new $180 million, six-story patient care tower at the Hyannis hospital. The system has also launched the development of a fully integrated single electronic medical records system.
Infrastructure work on the tower will likely begin next month, with completion predicted to take place during the spring of 2022.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT
The patient care tower, which will be located on the southwest end of the hospital and will become the new main entrance area, is being built to provide locally accessible and high-quality care by enhancing key service areas, such as cardiac, cancer, intensive care, women's health and medical surgery, the hospital said in a statement.
The tower will add 40 new cardiac and medical beds, offer new cancer care facilities and expand intensive care space by 20 percent. It will also include new educational space, and allow for the addition of a fifth floor at a later date.
The new Cape Cod Cancer Center will be located on levels one and two, and will include dedicated registration and waiting areas, improved patient screening areas, a rooftop garden, and clinical staff education spaces designed to enhance the patient, family and staff experience.
The project also creates the opportunity to provide cancer patients new clinical trials as part of Cape Cod Healthcare's partnership with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
As for the new EHR implementation, the upgrade to an Epic system is expected to better support clinicians in coordinating care across multiple settings, and allow patients to access their medical records from home and from mobile devices.
The source of funding for these projects was not disclosed.
THE LARGER TREND
The investment by CCHC is significant, mirroring some high-dollar hospital construction and renovation projects that have been announced in recent years. In terms of cost, one of the most significant came last October when Mayo Clinic Health System in Rochester, Minnesota said it was planning a $648 million expansion project that will nearly double the size of its Phoenix campus within the next five years.
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
