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For Immediate Release: September 28, 2006

Contact: Brian Reardon (217) 544-6464, ext. 44306

St. John’s renovates Emergency Department, ICU to better serve trauma patients

SPRINGFIELD – In preparation for the return of the Southern Illinois Trauma Center (SITC), St. John’s has completed a multi-million dollar renovation of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) module and a section of the Emergency Department (ED), which houses two new trauma rooms and a suture room.

A new module (module D) was built in the ICU to serve trauma patients. The module has a trauma-oriented configuration with six patient beds, including two isolation rooms. All rooms have better space management around the beds, which are visible from the new nurses’ station. The module, located in the former resource center space, also has large breakaway doors, providing ample space for the many caregivers often needed at the bedside of trauma patients.

The two new, larger trauma suites and a suture room were created in the Emergency Department, adding 40 percent more physical space for treating trauma patients in an area separate from the rest of the ED. The rooms feature overhead X-ray equipment and surgical lights.  A new corridor provides direct, rapid access to the CT scan suite. The existing trauma rooms will be used for both trauma patients and as regular ED exam rooms.

The SITC will return to St. John’s Hospital on October 2, 2006.