The new expansion at Howard County General Hospital means patients will get their own private rooms, complete with soothing lighting and plenty of space for families to stay.
However, private rooms have the added advantage of cutting down on infections and medical errors, hospital officials said,and hospitals nationwide are making the shift.
“Studies have shown time and again that private rooms reduce the risk of errors,” said Victor Broccolino, president of the Howard County General Hospital.
The $85 million construction project includes a new five-level patient tower and the renovation of an existing 122,970 square feet of space. The tower will house three 30-bed inpatient floors and a centralized area for all outpatient services. All existing semi-private rooms will be converted into private rooms, adding 42 new beds.
Construction will begin by the end of this year with a new 660-space parking deck.
Private rooms cost more to construct, but they are more efficient due to shorter stays and easier placement of patients, Broccolino said.
Private patient rooms are even a law in many states. The American Institute of Architects recently released guidelines recommending that all new hospitals have private patient rooms, and many states adopt those, said Curt Mugge, vice president of Wilmot Sanz Inc., a health care design firm in Gaithersburg.
In Maryland, single rooms are becoming the norm, said Nancy Fiedler, spokeswoman at the Maryland Hospital Association. Many hospitals have converted units to private rooms, and now more patients are expecting the privacy, she said.
Expansion at a glance
» A new five-level patient tower
» The renovation of an existing 122,970 square feet of space
» Three 30-bed inpatient floors
» A centralized area for all outpatient services
» 42 new beds in private rooms
