Marshall to Open New Intensive Care/Critical Care Unit This Summer

JULY 6, 2016— For the last decade, Marshall's leadership has envisioned a new, larger and all-around better Intensive Care/Critical Care unit. Now, after years of careful planning and eight months of construction pending OSHPD licensing and approval, the new unit will open to our most critical patients this summer. The total cost of the effort clocks in at nearly $5.5 million—a worthwhile investment for our community.

According to Chief Nursing Officer Kathy Krejci, the new ICU/CCU offers a number of enhancements over the current unit, which has served our patients well for many years. Chief among the improvements is simply the extra space it provides—doubling the square footage over the current space. The current ICU is 2,565 square feet; the new space, located on the second floor of the South Wing, boasts 5,000 square feet.

Along with the added square footage, there are more rooms and more privacy for our patients and their families. The current unit has eight rooms with two being semi-private. The new ICU has 12 rooms, each fully private and each with extra space to accommodate family and visitors during lengthy stays.

In addition to the benefits the extra space affords, there are also technical and design enhancements to improve both patient care and staff safety. Each room is equipped with ceiling mounted mechanical patient lifts for ease of movement and staff injury reduction. The centrally located nursing station provides views into each patient room. There are also two isolation rooms equipped with air monitor alarms to ensure negative pressure is maintained for patient conditions that require this special care.

A final feature, which may be the most appreciated of all by our patients, is the natural light that can filter into the rooms through large windows (which can also be covered to provide darkness if that is preferred). The views out the backside of the South Wing are natural images of the abundant trees in our beautiful county. Compared to the current ICU, with its little access to natural light, the new unit will provide a soothing, uplifting environment for those patients and visitors who most need it.

The current ICU will remain licensed and equipped, offering a total of 20 Intensive Care beds when you add the 12-bed new ICU. The current unit will be used only for overflow when needed.

Marshall’s new ICU reflects the excellent care it has always provided to the critically ill, demonstrated by Healthgrades®, a national resource for consumer healthcare information, which awarded Marshall with the top 10% Hospital in the Nation and five-star rating for critical care awards this year.

About Marshall

Marshall is an independent, nonprofit community healthcare provider located in the heart of the Sierra Foothills. Marshall includes Marshall Hospital, a fully accredited acute care facility with 113 beds in Placerville; several outpatient facilities in Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills and Georgetown; and many community health and education programs. Marshall has more than 200 board-certified physicians and 1,500 employees providing quality healthcare services to more than 180,000 residents of El Dorado County.