HONOLULU-Tripler Army Medical Center has been planning to upgrade its Progressive Care Unit (PCU), here, since 2011.
The new location officially opened its doors April 29 with a ribbon cutting ceremony performed by Col. David K Dunning, TAMC commander.
The PCU is a less intensive care environment for those patients who do not meet the criteria for admission to the Intensive Care Unit, where patients may require a breathing machine and frequent care interactions. While the nursing presence in the unit is always there, the focus is on assisting patients to achieve independence in their care while managing their medical needs.
The goal for PCU care is to transition patients to a medical ward and then eventual discharge.
"We have modernized the care environments to include safe patient lifting systems, modernized beds, bariatric capability, expanded care environments and technology enhancements that assist the nurses and care staff in providing for patient and family needs," said Maj. Michael Campbell, Critical Care Transition officer.
The planning for this renovation and move began back in 2011 with construction ending March 25th of this year. Once the construction was complete, staff members from every major department came together to create a master plan for the training of staff and the moving of patients.
The new PCU is located on the 7th floor, C-Wing, and was meticulously designed and tested to be able to care for all of TAMC's beneficiaries' needs. The family zone provides an area of interaction for the families while maintaining room to care for the patient's needs.
"TAMC is moving and growing in order to enhance the caring environment for our beneficiaries with a focus on the 'ohana' care aspect by providing a patient-centered and family-focused addition to our care," said Dunning. "With this move, we are modernizing our care environment to align with the MEDCOM (Medical Command) view of patient care and provide world-class health care to our patients and families."
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