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Bayhealth Medical Center officials are near the end of their $147 million expansion that will improve care for trauma, emergency and cancer patients at Kent General Hospital in Dover.
Bayhealth unveiled the new 400,000 square foot expansion for members of the press on Thursday. The tour included views of the state-of-the-art Emergency And Trauma Services Department, an integrated Bayhealth Cancer Center and a new, spacious welcome pavilion that will make patients and visitors feel more comfortable.
“Bayhealth – Kent General Hospital already has a nearly 100-year legacy of service,” Bayhealth President and Chief Executive Officer Terry Murphy said. “Our new facility will help us continue our legacy well into the 21st Century.
“We’ll continue to invest in our infrastructure so that our patients may receive the high quality, patient-centered care they deserve,” he said.
Among other things, the new Emergency Department/Trauma Center is 35,000 square feet compared to the current department’s 11,000 square feet, Bayhealth officials said. That expands the ER’s treatment bays from 21 to 40.
When asked if he thought less Kent General patients would be airlifted to Christiana Hospital upstate – as reported in police releases from time to time, Murphy said that Delaware is a small state where collaboration is takes precedence when it comes to patient care. But the hospital has taken strides to recruit to notch doctors that reduce the need to transfer patients.
As a result, the number of transfer outs to the larger Christiana Hospital has already been reduced, added Pat Fuller, director of emergency services.
In addition to the state-of-the-art ER, the 35,000 square foot Cancer Center at Kent integrates radiation and medical oncology in one location as opposed to four in Kent County, Murphy said. The new, two-story center will comprise Bayhealth Hematology/Oncology currently at South Governors Avenue and Radiation Oncology currently at South Queen Street, among others.
“The clinicians will be able to work in conjunction with one another and through our affiliation with the Penn Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center in the delivery of state-of-the-art cancer care to our patients here in central Delaware,” he said.
“We are the second largest health system in the state of Delaware,” Murphy said. “But I don’t think about it in terms of size. Particularly as you relate to cancer, what we’ve tried to do with the University of Pennsylvania and the Abramson Cancer Center is provide best practice cancer treatment for anyone who gets that terrible diagnosis. … What we’re trying to do is provide a level of care that we would expect for ourselves.”
Bayhealth Medical Center officials are near the end of their $147 million expansion that will improve care for trauma, emergency and cancer patients at Kent General Hospital in Dover.
Bayhealth unveiled the new 400,000 square foot expansion for members of the press on Thursday. The tour included views of the state-of-the-art Emergency And Trauma Services Department, an integrated Bayhealth Cancer Center and a new, spacious welcome pavilion that will make patients and visitors feel more comfortable.
“Bayhealth – Kent General Hospital already has a nearly 100-year legacy of service,” Bayhealth President and Chief Executive Officer Terry Murphy said. “Our new facility will help us continue our legacy well into the 21st Century.
“We’ll continue to invest in our infrastructure so that our patients may receive the high quality, patient-centered care they deserve,” he said.
Among other things, the new Emergency Department/Trauma Center is 35,000 square feet compared to the current department’s 11,000 square feet, Bayhealth officials said. That expands the ER’s treatment bays from 21 to 40.
When asked if he thought less Kent General patients would be airlifted to Christiana Hospital upstate – as reported in police releases from time to time, Murphy said that Delaware is a small state where collaboration is takes precedence when it comes to patient care. But the hospital has taken strides to recruit to notch doctors that reduce the need to transfer patients.
As a result, the number of transfer outs to the larger Christiana Hospital has already been reduced, added Pat Fuller, director of emergency services.
In addition to the state-of-the-art ER, the 35,000 square foot Cancer Center at Kent integrates radiation and medical oncology in one location as opposed to four in Kent County, Murphy said. The new, two-story center will comprise Bayhealth Hematology/Oncology currently at South Governors Avenue and Radiation Oncology currently at South Queen Street, among others.
“The clinicians will be able to work in conjunction with one another and through our affiliation with the Penn Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center in the delivery of state-of-the-art cancer care to our patients here in central Delaware,” he said.
“We are the second largest health system in the state of Delaware,” Murphy said. “But I don’t think about it in terms of size. Particularly as you relate to cancer, what we’ve tried to do with the University of Pennsylvania and the Abramson Cancer Center is provide best practice cancer treatment for anyone who gets that terrible diagnosis. … What we’re trying to do is provide a level of care that we would expect for ourselves.”
And pharmacists will also be on site to mix prescriptions and be part of the oncology team, Bayhealth Cancer Center Director Donna Stinson said. That kind of efficiency will also help cut down on the amount of time people spend at the hospital for treatment, among other things, she said.
The construction funds for this $147 million project came from a combination of Bayhealth’s operating reserves, its capital campaign and some debt incurred by going to the bond market, Murphy said.
The architect for Bayhealth’s Kent General expansion was EwingCole, based in Philadelphia, Murphy said. EwingCole is one of the largest firms working in health care architecture, among other projects. But it’s work goes health care and the firm’s portfolio includes Citizens Bank Park.
The construction company was Whiting Turner, and the majority of work went to Delaware subcontractors, he added.
Bayhealth is also developing an expansion plan for Milford Hospital as well, Murphy said. Bayhealth is close to selecting an architect for the master plan, which he anticipates will be ready by October.
