November 11, 2009
Evidence-Based Design in Health Care
Barry Rabner
President and CEO, Princeton HealthCare System
Minutes of the Ninth Meeting of the 68th Year
President George Hansen called the meeting to order, at 10:15 AM. on 11/11/2009 noting that this was the ninth meeting of the 68th year for the meeting of the Old Guard. He remarked that it was also ''Veteran's Day", and he requested all of us present to remember the service and sacrifice made by veterans during war time.
The Invocation was led by Don Edwards.
President Hansen recognized three guests who were present: Arky Vaughn introduced John Heins; Gordon Spencer introduced his wife Susan; Steven Schlossstein introduced Arthur Eschowauer.
Our next meeting will be November 18, 2009, at 10:15, here at the Friend Center, and the speaker will be Dr. Roger Moseley, a retired physician from our community. His topic will be: ''Three Months as a Doctor in the Himalayas.'' The minute- taker will be Charlie Clark.
Claire Jacobus introduced Mr. Barry Rabner who is President and CEO of the University Medical Center at Princeton. He received his BA from University of Maryland and earned his MPHA from Rutgers Universityand has a graduate degree in French language and civilization. Mr. Rabner has been working diligently for the past several years in planning for the new hospital, to be known as The University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro (UMCPP) Mr. Rabner's talk was greatly enhanced by beautiful sketches of the main areas of the proposed hospital, as well as additional close-up drawings of the surrounding land, roads, and a variety of smaller structures to be constructed. The Hospital will be located on 50 acres of a 160 acre site in Plainsboro bounded by Route 1, Scudder's Mill Road and the Millstone River. It is scheduled to open in late 2011.
The cost for the entire campus will be $750-800 million dollars and Mr. Rabner appeared confident about its ultimate funding.
The new hospital will consist of approximately 6oo,ooo square feet of interior space. There will be 237 single-patient rooms which can be expanded to 360 beds if needed in the future.
The Merwick facility will be replaced by a 200 bed facility at the new hospital and should be completed by the summer of 2010.
The new and enlarged ER will accommodate 100,000 visits/year, and will be twice the size of the existing ER in Princeton. In addition, it will have the structural capacity to be expanded by yet another one third for future needs.
A long term facility, dedicated to those very ill patients, will allow for constant nursing care and monitoring for a longer time period; the average hospitalization in these circumstances have averaged 25 days.
Mr. Rabner feels that having a presence on campus of CHOP (Children's Hospital Of Pennsylvania) specializing in neonatal care and serious or complicated pediatric care will be a positive innovation. It will occupy a 32 acre plot. A helicopter pad will be present.
A 30 acre park dedicated to preserving green space and its natural outdoor look, give a sense of peace and respite to those who want and need a quiet time. The park will also be visible from the patient rooms.
A doctor's office facility, composed of 160,000 square feet, will be set aside and made available for rent by doctors on the staff.
Every patient will occupy a single room. The beds are constructed to have a hand railing at the head of the bed. The railing connects directly to the toilet and when the railing is grasped, automatically the railing which has a series lights along its length will lead to the bathroom. Mr. Rabner emphasized that this should cut down falls by patients, especially at night.
Another parcel of land has been set aside for an assisted living area.
An education center, library, and conference center will be built as well as a small ecumenical chapel.
Above ground parking will be available. Solar cells will provide the electric energy cars and serve as a plug-in for hybrid cars.
Plans are being made for a fitness center or rehabilitation center; these are still being examined.
The Harrison Street will be widened at the entrance to Route 1. The New Jersey Dept. of Transportation is actively involved to make access to the hospital easier. Ambulances will be able to change the street lights when in a rush to the hospital.
Every hospital unit will be interconnected electronically leading to safer care, decreased errors, and better records. No need to keep a patient in ER waiting for a telemetry bed as telemetry is found in all beds and all medical floors. Since there is only one hospital bed in each room, there will no longer be a problem of filling an extra bed with the same gender as is the case in the current hospital.
Rabner's goal seems well thought out. He is quoted as saying, ''We have the rare opportunity to build this hospital in an ecologically responsible manner by conserving energy, minimizing the impact on the surroundings, and providing the best conditions for patients”. Hospital representatives from across the country and China are already scheduled to visit this new hospital set up.
The meeting adjourned at 11:30 AM.
Respecfully submitted
William F. Haynes
The Invocation was led by Don Edwards.
President Hansen recognized three guests who were present: Arky Vaughn introduced John Heins; Gordon Spencer introduced his wife Susan; Steven Schlossstein introduced Arthur Eschowauer.
Our next meeting will be November 18, 2009, at 10:15, here at the Friend Center, and the speaker will be Dr. Roger Moseley, a retired physician from our community. His topic will be: ''Three Months as a Doctor in the Himalayas.'' The minute- taker will be Charlie Clark.
Claire Jacobus introduced Mr. Barry Rabner who is President and CEO of the University Medical Center at Princeton. He received his BA from University of Maryland and earned his MPHA from Rutgers Universityand has a graduate degree in French language and civilization. Mr. Rabner has been working diligently for the past several years in planning for the new hospital, to be known as The University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro (UMCPP) Mr. Rabner's talk was greatly enhanced by beautiful sketches of the main areas of the proposed hospital, as well as additional close-up drawings of the surrounding land, roads, and a variety of smaller structures to be constructed. The Hospital will be located on 50 acres of a 160 acre site in Plainsboro bounded by Route 1, Scudder's Mill Road and the Millstone River. It is scheduled to open in late 2011.
The cost for the entire campus will be $750-800 million dollars and Mr. Rabner appeared confident about its ultimate funding.
The new hospital will consist of approximately 6oo,ooo square feet of interior space. There will be 237 single-patient rooms which can be expanded to 360 beds if needed in the future.
The Merwick facility will be replaced by a 200 bed facility at the new hospital and should be completed by the summer of 2010.
The new and enlarged ER will accommodate 100,000 visits/year, and will be twice the size of the existing ER in Princeton. In addition, it will have the structural capacity to be expanded by yet another one third for future needs.
A long term facility, dedicated to those very ill patients, will allow for constant nursing care and monitoring for a longer time period; the average hospitalization in these circumstances have averaged 25 days.
Mr. Rabner feels that having a presence on campus of CHOP (Children's Hospital Of Pennsylvania) specializing in neonatal care and serious or complicated pediatric care will be a positive innovation. It will occupy a 32 acre plot. A helicopter pad will be present.
A 30 acre park dedicated to preserving green space and its natural outdoor look, give a sense of peace and respite to those who want and need a quiet time. The park will also be visible from the patient rooms.
A doctor's office facility, composed of 160,000 square feet, will be set aside and made available for rent by doctors on the staff.
Every patient will occupy a single room. The beds are constructed to have a hand railing at the head of the bed. The railing connects directly to the toilet and when the railing is grasped, automatically the railing which has a series lights along its length will lead to the bathroom. Mr. Rabner emphasized that this should cut down falls by patients, especially at night.
Another parcel of land has been set aside for an assisted living area.
An education center, library, and conference center will be built as well as a small ecumenical chapel.
Above ground parking will be available. Solar cells will provide the electric energy cars and serve as a plug-in for hybrid cars.
Plans are being made for a fitness center or rehabilitation center; these are still being examined.
The Harrison Street will be widened at the entrance to Route 1. The New Jersey Dept. of Transportation is actively involved to make access to the hospital easier. Ambulances will be able to change the street lights when in a rush to the hospital.
Every hospital unit will be interconnected electronically leading to safer care, decreased errors, and better records. No need to keep a patient in ER waiting for a telemetry bed as telemetry is found in all beds and all medical floors. Since there is only one hospital bed in each room, there will no longer be a problem of filling an extra bed with the same gender as is the case in the current hospital.
Rabner's goal seems well thought out. He is quoted as saying, ''We have the rare opportunity to build this hospital in an ecologically responsible manner by conserving energy, minimizing the impact on the surroundings, and providing the best conditions for patients”. Hospital representatives from across the country and China are already scheduled to visit this new hospital set up.
The meeting adjourned at 11:30 AM.
Respecfully submitted
William F. Haynes