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Skyline Medical Center recently announced a $3.2 million expansion of the Neurological Intensive Care Unit, doubling the hospital’s current capacity from 6 to 12 beds.

“We’ve been at capacity for two years now,” said Debra Philpot, director of critical care and neuroscience services. “We’ve had to turn patients away because we haven’t had beds. With the expansion, we’ll be able to serve more patients.”

Philpot attributed Skyline’s space issues to the fact that the hospital is well known for its specialty care areas, such as stroke. She noted Skyline has received national recognition for their treatment of neurological conditions and was the first hospital in Tennessee to receive Joint Commission certification as a “Primary Stroke Center” in October 2004.

“We have a comprehensive team of physicians, nurses and therapists that have specialized training in stroke patients,” she said. “Family members want their loved ones to go where there are specialized care areas.”

She added, “Tennessee is in the stroke belt; and we know that stroke is the third leading cause of death … that we have an aging population … and it’s the number one cause of disability. You can see there is a lot of motivation to be prepared to care for the community.”

Philpot said in addition to the stroke program, Skyline was well equipped to care for patients with any type of brain hemorrhage, as well as spinal cord injuries and a variety of other neurodegenerative diseases. She added the hospital’s comprehensive programming covered the care spectrum from her ICU unit through inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient day services.

Although construction and renovation haven’t yet begun, Philpot said the hospital is well into the planning phase and already has a draft of the new layout and design. The plans call for renovating nearly 7,000 square feet of existing space on the second floor to double beds, expand the family waiting area and expand respiratory care.

Philpot also noted the plan calls for the purchase of approximately $817,000 in new equipment, which includes advanced neurological bedside monitoring on state-of-the-art critical care beds and a new brain oxygen monitoring system.

The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2008. Philpot said the staff and construction team are proactively planning the phasing of the project to match seasonal volumes. Two other critical care areas in the hospital are available should patients have to be moved during construction.



April 2008

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