South Florida Baptist Hospital Opens Charles and Betty Grimes Critical Care Center

South Florida Baptist Hospital announces the completion of its new 17-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) – the Charles and Betty Grimes Critical Care Center.  The new space replaces the eight-bed ICU that opened in 1987 in the East Wing.

“When we built the Jim and Ruby Jean Redman Emergency Center that opened in 2006, we predicted the need for a new ICU that would provide more flexibility and capacity,” said hospital President Karen Kerr.  “With that in mind, we included a second floor of shelled-in space just for this purpose.”  The 13,400 sq. ft. space above the Emergency Center mimics the Emergency Center’s race track design with the 17 rooms placed on the exterior walls with a center core area for the clinical team. 

A new elevator provides direct access from the Emergency Center to the Charles and Betty Grimes Critical Care Center, allowing critical patients to receive care faster.  The elevator also is secure; only team members with appropriate access can operate this elevator via badge access.

“South Florida Baptist Hospital continues to evolve into a state-of-the-art hospital that keeps pace with community growth as well as technological advancements, all while keeping the home town compassionate care that Plant City appreciates,” Kerr added.

Once on the unit, patients are monitored by nurses and physicians via clear glass doors that allow for better visibility of patients and rest for the patient.  The doors can be opened halfway for regular entry or all the way for emergency situations.  Clear glass doors allow nurses to monitor pumps and medication, and vital signs.  Patient monitors are state-of-the-art, with the capability of monitoring all wave forms and pressures.

Later this year, South Florida Baptist Hospital will begin using eICU.  Patients will be monitored via a network of audiovisual communication and computer systems that link critical care physicians and nurses.  This enables staff to reduce time between problem identification and intervention.  Bedside clinicians can have a virtual presence in the room in a matter of seconds.

The rooms themselves have been designed with patient comfort in mind.  Calming light sconces, peaceful wall colors and Plantation shutters provide a soothing environment.  Sinks placed near the entrance of each room and subway tiles in bathrooms promote a clean environment.  Two corner rooms have been specially designed to aid in the care of bariatric patients.  A lift, with a 1,000-pound weight limit, is installed in the ceiling, which helps nurses move the patient to and from the bed and chair.  This promotes skin integrity for the patient and reduces the chance of injury and strain for the nurses.

Four of the ICU rooms are negative air pressure rooms, that include a ventilation system that generates negative pressure to allow air to flow into the isolation room, but not escape from the room.  Air will naturally flow from areas with higher pressure to areas with lower pressure, thereby preventing contaminated air from escaping the room.  These types of rooms are particularly important for patients with certain airborne contagious diseases, such as tuberculosis, measles or chicken pox.

The Charles and Betty Grimes Critical Care Center’s waiting room also has been designed with peaceful colors to promote a calming environment for friends and families who are waiting to see their loved ones.  The waiting room features comfortable seating, a flat screen TV, a coffee machine, and close proximity to restrooms and vending machines.

Support spaces include a nurse and physician station, unit coordinator station, resource room, pharmacist workspace, team lounge, patient nutrition center, physician consult room, respiratory support services room and a conference room. 

South Florida Baptist Hospital will begin using the Charles and Betty Grimes Critical Care Center on April 26, 2016.