Hutchinson (Kan.) RegionalMedicalCenter has finalized plans for a $23 million project to replace the hospital's intensive care unit and upgrade the facility's emergency power system, according to The Hutchinson News.
The project will create a 25,000-square-foot, 18-bed ICU. It will be built where the existing unit — which was constructed in 1975 — currently stands, according to the report.
"When the ICU was originally built it was intended to handle only the basic intensive-care-type patients," said Joann Rivera, an ICU nurse at the hospital who contributed to the planning for the new unit, according to the report. "As we've grown and developed our programs, such as cardiovascular and open heart, it's important to grow along with that."
Under the plan, the hospital will move CT and MRI scanners closer to the emergency room and ICU to increase access for stroke patients. The upgrade will also include the addition of telemedicine capabilities, according to the report.
The project, which will begin next year, is expected to take two years to complete. The hospital will primarily use revenue bonds to fund the project.