George Washington University Hospital To Open State-of-the-Art Facility Aug. 23 by Stephen Qualiana As anyone who has ever been severely sick or injured knows: Time is of the essence. And George Washington University Hospital knows this too. It is building a $96 million state-of-the-art hospital that will house 371 beds and more than $45 million in high-tech medical equipment that is scheduled to open Aug. 23. Much of the technology is designed to speed up diagnosis and treatment of patients. ìThe original facility was built in 1948,î said Marti Harris, communications manager at the George Washington University Hospital. The designers wanted to bring the hospital into the 21st century with technology, design and amenities, she said. The hospital will have mostly private rooms, state-of-the-art medical equipment and a near paperless patient record system. ìAll of these things combined will make for a better, more efficient hospital stay,î Harris noted. The $45 million in equipment was spent on ìa top-of-the-line CT scanner and an MRI [magnetic resonance imaging]. Our radiology department has a fully digital imaging system, so the emergency room can pull up an image almost immediately after itís been taken,î Harris said. That means that the diagnosis can be almost immediate, and speeding up the diagnosis will also speed up the treatment. This is especially important in the emergency room and operating room, where minutes can be the difference between life and death. These innovations are time-savers for both doctors and nurses. ìA nurse could roll in a laptop thatís on a cart to a patientís bedside and then access a patientís records right there,î said Harris. The 400,000-square-foot facility has been configured to operate in a wireless radio-frequency network. The system provides faster imaging, near paperless record keeping, and easy access by doctors and nurses to patient information, which they can retrieve on their hand-held personal data assistants. The data available through the wireless network is also encrypted and cannot be used outside the radio frequency network to ensure patient confidentiality. ìI think our ability to care for patients has been drastically improved,î said Harris. The hospital is also mixing hospitality in its upgraded facility. As anyone whoís ever stayed overnight at a hospital knows, one of the worst aspects of such a stay is having to share a room with a stranger, not just a stranger but a sick stranger. This has changed. ìWe were seeking more private patient rooms. Over 80 percent of the rooms in the new facility are private,î Harris said. ìMost people want private rooms.î The mostly private patient rooms have been grouped in fours around a nursing station, creating a ìpodî that allows nurses to more efficiently care for their patients. For an additional fee, patients can also upgrade their stay. The hospital will offer expanded amenities, including the option to move up to a colonial suite. The suites are private rooms offering upscale furniture, gourmet meals, quality linens and a number of other hospitality services. The new building represents a turnaround for George Washington University Hospital. Like many hospitals, GW Hospital had for the last decade been strapped financially. Consultants suggested that George Washington University sell the hospital, the medical faculty group and the health plan. But in 1997, Universal Health Services and the university formed a partnership to own and operate the hospital. The partnership included a commitment to construct a new state-of-the-art hospital. High-Tech Hospitalization Some of the state-of-the-art medical technology that the new George Washington University Hospital is incorporating include: Filmless Picture Archiving Communications System This system will be used with all imaging devices, such as MRIs, CTs, ultrasound and x-rays. It allows images to be distributed electronically and interpreted on computer workstations. The advantage is quick turnaround time because patients will no longer have to wait for film to be developed. Ensite 3000 This computer device is used to treat complex cardiac arrhythmias. It allows doctors to view in real time a 3-D map of the patientís heart and then use the image to diagnose and treat the ailment. Lightspeed Ultra CT Scanner The state-of-the-art computed tomography device captures more anatomical information per second than a single-slice scanner. The advantage is that patient exam times are drastically reduced and the diagnoses are superior. Integris Allura This device offers a large field-of-view catheterization lab with 3-D imaging. It provides the patient faster and more precise cardiovascular exams, possibly even saving the patient from surgery. Neonatal Incubators These incubators are designed to improve the physical and neurological development of premature babies. The incubators in the neonatal intensive care unit are technologically superior and imitate life in the womb. SimSuite Training Center The training center will be part of the hospitalís surgical simulation and demonstration area for medical students, residents, physicians and nurses. It integrates virtual reality, computer-controlled mannequins and other interactive teaching tools. Stephen Qualiana is the editor of The Washington Diplomat.