By Jacquie Rath
"Through recent advances, Mercy Medical Center has made strides in creating a model for an innovative approach to patient care," said Dr. Alan D. Guerci, president and chief executive officer of the hospital. "These new facilities provide an enhanced level of comfort and care for our patients, and are an important part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen the hospital."
Incorporating wireless monitoring technology and the latest in hospital design to promote patient safety and comfort, the center's new four-story North Pavilion offers 160 patient beds in private and semi-private rooms. Its architecture incorporates a focus on natural light, both in the patient units and in the four-story lobby, which has floor-to-ceiling windows, to encourage a feeling of well-being and warmth. Patients and staff members have been utilizing the new facilities since February.
A central courtyard, known as the "Garden of Caring," provides an inspiring and quiet location for reflection. The first floor of the pavilion is designated for general medical/surgical care, while the second floor offers monitoring of patients with cardiac conditions. Orthopedics and physical medicine and rehabilitation services occupy the third floor, and on the fourth, a spacious nursing unit provides a central location for Mercy's cancer care services, offered through Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, an affiliation that was established in 1997.
The creation of a cardiac catheterization suite in the medical center's main building will further expand the specialty services available to the community. A laboratory equipped with the latest in cardiac catheterization imaging technology will be used for diagnostic work. If further therapy is required, patients will have immediate access to the resources and expertise at St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center. Mercy's program will be directed by Dr. Richard A. Shlofmitz, an expert in the field who also oversees the program at St. Francis, where interventional cardiologists manage one of the largest caseloads in the nation.
"The new wing is just outstanding," said Nancy B. Simmons, Mercy's executive director. "It provides a wonderful environment for patients, support staff and physicians. It is quiet and well lit by natural light. The design is very innovative."
"The new addition to the Mercy facility is state of the art," said Rockville Centre Mayor Eugene Murray. "The medical center will continue to offer excellent service to the community, as it has since 1913."
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