Martha Jefferson Hospital Renovates ER, Plans for Future Site
Martha Jefferson Hospital‚ the only independent community hospital in Virginia to be designated a Nurse Magnet facility for its nursing staff‚ is moving forward with plans that will expand the health-care options in Charlottesville.
The hospital is busy planning for a new building to house medical services and physicians.
“Our goal is to open a new hospital in 2012‚” says Steve Bowers‚ hospital spokesman. “We’re hoping to break ground in 2009. We’re in the design phase right now.”
Martha Jefferson Hospital will have a new location in a few years‚ but the hospital also wanted to complete the renovation of its emergency department to help patients in the meantime.
“We decided it was worth making a significant investment in our emergency department in the here and now‚” Bowers says. “That was something that could not wait.”
The hospital finished the $1.7 million renovation of the emergency department in late 2006.
The renovation allowed the addition of private treatment rooms outfitted with cardiac monitors; flat-screen TVs to ease the anxiety of waiting patients and family; and centralized nursing stations that allow nurses to keep a physical eye on patients.
Martha Jefferson Hospital is a 176-bed medical center that serves Charlottesville and the surrounding Central Virginia counties. The hospital is accredited as a Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Care Program by the American College of Surgeons.
Magnet designation is the latest honor given in December 2006 to the health-care center.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center‚ part of the American Nurses Association‚ gives the honor to only a few medical facilities around the country.
The Magnet Recognition Program provides patients with a way to measure the quality of the health care from the nursing staff‚ a key part of a patient’s treatment and recovery‚ according to the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
“For years‚ nurses at Martha Jefferson have worked hard to become leaders in their field‚” says Jim Haden‚ president of Martha Jefferson Hospital.
“With the full support of more than 1‚600 members of our team‚ our nursing staff has led an outstanding effort to achieve Magnet recognition. This provides our community tremendous assurance that the quality of care provided at Martha Jefferson meets the gold standard today‚ and that our institution is well-positioned to continue recruiting and training the best nurses in the field for years to come.”
Hospitals applying for Magnet status must meet stringent expectations‚ including on-site inspection.
“We’re the only independent community hospital in Virginia to be awarded Magnet status‚” adds Bowers. “We’re one of just 35 hospitals with under 200 licensed beds nationwide [with the designation].”
“What our community has always known is our nurses give the best personalized care‚” Bowers says. “What magnet recognition does is show the clinical confidence is just as high.”
