El Camino Hospital moves into new, technologically and seismically advanced facility

Nov 16 2009

El Camino Hospital, the hospital of Silicon Valley, today completed its move into the new, technologically and seismically advanced facility. After completing several practice runs led by the activation team, hospital officials report all patients were safely transferred to the new facility. The older facility’s emergency department (ED) officially closed at 6 a.m. PST this morning as the new ED began accepting walk-ins and ambulance traffic at 6:01 a.m. PST.

“After tireless planning and preparation, the new hospital activation team successfully executed its plan to safely and efficiently transfer all patients,” said Ken Graham, chief executive officer of El Camino Hospital. “Thanks to their hard work and the efforts of all who touched this new hospital project, we are able to continue to provide the top quality care our community deserves.”

In celebration of the official changeover, Margaret Abe-Koga, mayor of Mountain View, and Liz Kniss, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, will present El Camino Hospital with separate proclamations at 11 a.m. PST on Monday. They will also view a demonstration of the hospital’s biometric palm scanning patient registration system. Optional enrollment in Fujitsu’s PalmSecure^TM technology is now available for each patient registration point within the new hospital.

“As a key provider of high acuity care in Silicon Valley, we count on El Camino Hospital to be on the leading edge of care,” said Mayor Abe-Koga. “This new facility has all the right tools and a foundation that will allow the hospital to both adapt to and influence the way care is delivered well into the future.”

Since the on-time, under budget completion of the new $470 million facility, activation teams have been moving final pieces of equipment and practicing “day-in-the-life” scenarios for the patient move.

“After spending close to two years experimenting with the mock patient room design layouts to create an ideal setting for our staff and patients, we are thrilled to finally be putting our plans into action,” said Diana Russell, M.S., R.N., El Camino Hospital’s chief of clinical operations and chief nursing officer, who led the cross-functional teams of medical professionals working on the activation of the new hospital.

Key features of the new facility include:

• The latest imaging, surgical and lab technology:
  • State-of-the-art upgraded digital imaging systems in the radiology department provide faster, more accurate results for patient exams, making the facility a completely filmless hospital
  • Digital images can be sent immediately and securely to aid in rapid diagnosis and treatment plans
  • The new updated equipment includes two new MRI machines, two CTs, one PET CT, and five interventional radiology x-ray systems
    • Open MRI minimizes claustrophobia and accommodates larger patients
    • Three-tesla MRI doubles the power of the hospital’s previous technology
    • CT scanners include 128-slice and 64-slice dual source capabilities; acquire scans twice as fast, with lower doses of radiation and higher resolution
    • PET-CT delivers unparalleled accuracy in detecting, pinpointing and staging tumors
    • The hospital invested $20 million in the state-of-the-art imaging equipment
  • Two da Vinci® Si HD Surgical Systems feature three-dimensional vision for surgeons performing prostate cancer, gynecologic and bariatric surgeries
  • State-of-the-art cardiac intervention labs with biplane angiography which can look at the heart from two different viewpoints, leading to increased accuracy and improved safety
• ‘Smart’ hospital information management innovations:
  • Biometric palm scanning patient registration
  • Computer physician order entry (CPOE) built from the hospital’s existing program, launched originally in 1971 as the first hospital CPOE system internationally
  • Digital and secure electronic patient records and medical grade bedside computers with ‘real-time’ medical record processing
  • Wall-to-wall wireless technology
• Medical technologies that directly help staff deliver quality care:
  • Nineteen TUG Robots contribute to a cleaner environment and increased efficiency, accuracy and safety by moving independently throughout the hospital carrying medical supplies and patient meals; the robots optimize staff time to patient care
  • Pneumatic Delivery System, an integrated delivery system throughout hospital provides instantaneous delivery of medications and information
  • Telepresence capabilities link El Camino Hospital medical staff at the hospital as well as colleagues at other healthcare organizations nationwide for secure collaboration of patient diagnosis and treatment options
  • Electronic ceiling lifts that help staff move patients more safely and easily
  • New advanced electronic patient beds throughout the hospital, CCU beds equipped with built-in language translation for 22 languages
  • 85 percent of hospital rooms are private and allow family members to stay with patients
• Advanced seismic safety design: The 450,000 square foot hospital is among the few in the state that is built from the ground up to meet SB 1953, the state’s seismic-safety standard for hospitals. Within the hospital walls are express elevators with special alarms, alerts and safety features that protect patients and staff during an earthquake.

New Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Pediatric Unit at El Camino

Additionally, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford opened its new Packard Pediatric Unit at El Camino Hospital. The unit offers 30 beds, including the inpatient unit of Packard Children’s Comprehensive Eating Disorders Program, the only program of its type in Northern California to address both the medical and psychiatric needs of adolescents with these disorders. “With this opening, we are pleased to extend our pediatric expertise and compassionate, family-centered care to the South Bay community,” said Christopher Dawes, president and CEO of Packard Children’s Hospital. “We congratulate El Camino Hospital on their exciting new facilities, and our doctors, nurses and caregivers look forward to providing a full range of services at the new Packard Pediatric Unit.”

Older Facility to Remain Open for Services

The old hospital’s ground level and first floors will continue to be used for outpatient services and administrative offices. The departments that will remain in the old hospital include: endoscopy, the Cardiovascular Pulmonary Wellness Center, respiratory therapy, the Heart and Vascular Institute, outpatient laboratory, behavioral health, palliative care and various administrative offices. The Women’s Hospital and dialysis services will also remain in their current locations.