Cooper University Hospital is opening a new $220 million patient pavilion on its Camden (N.J.) Health Sciences Campus. It is the hospital's largest construction expansion in more than 30 years.
Cooper University Hospital's Camden campus is the home of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The campus will also house a new $130 million Academic and Research Building at the medical school as well as a proposed stem cell institute.
"Whether you are a patient or a visitor, your experience at Cooper is about to change dramatically," said John P. Sheridan Jr., president and CEO at Cooper. "The patient- and family-centered amenities include a new restaurant, coffee shop, resource center and service desk with a special suite to help patients and their families with insurance information and registration."
According to Sheridan, the new construction includes:
- a 10-story 312,000-square-foot patient care pavilion;
- 12 new operating room suites;
- 60 private medical/surgical rooms;
- a new technologically advanced 30-bed Intensive Care Unit;
- a 12,000-square-foot addition to the Emergency Department;
- an elaborate laboratory automation facility;
- a new front entrance and drop-off zone;
- expanded "customer friendly" public lobby space with a new restaurant;
- and space for up to 120 additional beds and imaging/procedure suites;
All patient rooms in the new pavilion are private, which Sheridan said would help patients sleep better and allow fewer interruptions from unfamiliar visitors and caregivers.
According to the Center for Healthcare Design, private rooms reduce the rate of infection in the hospital. Additionally, the new rooms are built on a diagonal, allowing for improved staff visualization of the patient. The rooms are separated into two areas, a family portion of the room and a nursing/staff area. The family portion, next to the window, offers a place for a family member to spend the night in a convertible sleep accommodation, a small desk and other furniture for visitors.
"The room gives a more residential environment for patients and visitors," said John Schwarz, vice president of facilities and support services at Cooper. "Much like an upscale hotel, all rooms will have a flat screen TV, and internet capability."