St. Luke’s University Hospital-Miners Campus in Coaldale today opens its new, $7.2 million 28-bed, all-private Universal Care Suite. On Wednesday, St. Luke’s Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg also will unveil a private unit.
The one-person rooms in the suite provide patients with access to care and technology in a private, home-like setting. The model allows patients to stay in their rooms while having certain procedures and treatments, including blood work, diagnostic tests and dialysis services.
“Research has shown that private rooms contribute to a greater sense of well-being and improved patient outcomes – meaning patients heal better, sooner,” said Bill Moyer, president of St. Luke’s Miners Campus.
In addition, individual rooms allow a patient’s family and loved ones to be more directly involved in the health care process.
“Similar to a newborn staying with a new mom, we know that patients who have their family members or caregivers with them throughout a hospital stay do better than those who do not,” said Kim Sargent, vice president of patient care services for St. Luke’s Miners Campus.
“Often, these individuals play a critical role in the care plan and education process, as they oversee the follow-up care once a patient leaves the hospital.”
Technological upgrades for the new unit include electronic message boards, which display real-time data, medical information and important reminders that are helpful to patients and families.
Part of the funding for the renovations came via a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant from Pennsylvania. The grant funds community projects that create jobs and provide a service or benefit for local residents.
“This project is a great example of public and private organizations working together to improve services in our region,” Moyer said.
St. Luke’s Miners Campus delivers inpatient and outpatient care to more than 25,000 people annually and serves Carbon, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties
St. Luke’s University Health Network of Fountain Hill has six hospitals and more than 215 sites, primarily in Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Monroe counties and in Warren County, N.J. The health network is building St. Luke’s Hospital-Monroe Campus in Bartonsville, an $80 million, 180,000-square-foot hospital that is expected to open this fall.
