Chester County Hospital celebrated the opening of the largest expansion in its history earlier this year, not knowing just how game changing the pavilion would be in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital's new patient tower has afforded separate units to care for COVID positive patients, while continuing to provide the essential healthcare services the community have become accustomed to - and planning for innovative new treatment and procedure options right here at home.
You can view this conversation in the video below, or read the accompanying transcript.
VIDEO:
Note: Some of the footage used in this video was filmed prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. All Chester County Hospital facilities have a universal masking policy in place, and all providers, staff, patients and visitors are to wear a face covering or mask while at any of the hospital's locations.
TRANSCRIPT:
00:02 - Celebrating our Game-Changing Pavilion
We have spent the last few years building the largest expansion in our hospital's history, and we proudly opened the doors to our pavilion earlier this year.
00:20 -
We celebrated this monumental accomplishment just a couple of months after, not knowing just how game changing the pavilion would be for our community; and that point was driven home in early March when the first COVID-19 cases began appearing in the Philadelphia region.
00:35 - COVID-19 Impact in Chester County
The new pavilion was 85-90% complete at that time and had a phased opening plan in place, having the space fully operational by June. With the pandemic looming, a decision was quickly made to hasten the pace of construction to help the hospital meet the anticipated surge of COVID-19 patients. This was no easy feat, and was a true collaborative effort between the hospital, LF Driscoll and their subcontractors - all of whom worked 24/7 to make it happen.
01:08 -
The completed pavilion afforded the hospital a separate space to care for COVID-19 patients. Our waiting rooms and other spaces are rigorously cleaned and have been reconfigured to maximize social distancing. If there is a safeguard available, you can be assured we have put it in place.
01:25 -
While outfitting the Pavilion, the hospital was also expanding its Emergency Department.
This new space has allowed CCH to create geographically distinct emergency rooms to help isolate patients that need to be seen in the ED. Patients who arrive with COVID-19 related symptoms are treated in a separate area and away from non-COVID patients.
With this realignment, patients can feel safe coming to the hospital knowing they won';t come in contact with COVID-19 patients.
01:55 -
Our community needs us to be more than a just place to care for COVID patients. They need us to provide all the essential healthcare services that they have become accustomed to at Chester County Hospital and our outpatient facilities.
02:09 - The Future of Healthcare in Chester County
With the green light to move into the pavilion, we are proceeding full steam ahead. Our new procedural platform, which houses 15 ORs and Cath and EP labs, is already up and running.
Our service lines have also been quite busy and productive. We have been approved to perform robotic bypass surgery and are going to do our first TAVR case this summer. Once we are fully settled in our new procedural platform, we will initiate a bariatric surgery program here. And we continue to recruit top specialists as we look to expand the programs and services we offer to our community.
02:45 -
The health, well-being and best interests of Chester County has been close to our hearts and on the forefront of Chester County Hospital's plans and mission for more than 125 years. As we move into the next phase of coexisting with COVID-19, our community can take solace in knowing this commitment has not changed. We look forward to seeing you again, and we are honored to be able to provide the highest level of healthcare to our friends, families and neighbors.