Dupont renovation expands Lutheran Children's Hospital footprint to northern Fort Wayne
12/11/2018
Enhanced pediatric services and inpatient care a major focus
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Dec. 12, 2018) - Dupont Hospital has finished a multimillion dollar renovation that highlights a new access point to the specialized services offered by Lutheran Children's Hospital and its own growing emphasis on inpatient care for premature infants, children and teens.
On Thursday, the hospital will unveil three different areas that have undergone transformations during the past 14 months. New additions at Dupont include the establishment of a six-bed inpatient unit for general pediatric care and a three-bed pediatric intensive care unit. Nurses and therapists with advanced training in pediatrics and pediatric intensive care, respectively, will work alongside physicians who also deliver specialized pediatric care at Lutheran Children's Hospital.
"As a community hospital that serves patients at each stage of life, we are fortunate to have access to teams and resources across our network that can help us significantly enhance the care we offer for children and families who have grown along with us since 2001," said Lorenzo Suter, chief executive officer, Dupont Hospital. "In most cases, the desire to remain closer to home for healthcare is a patient preference we strive to fulfill. Our ability to deliver this added level of pediatric specialization that's consistent with the high standards Lutheran Children's Hospital is known for fits extremely well with our Dupont Difference."
The new pediatric inpatient unit on the second floor was previously designated for medical surgical patients. That space, which has been significantly changed to reflect the warmth and color of Lutheran Children's Hospital, will open Friday. New features for Dupont include pediatric hospitalist coverage, a pediatric treatment room, a pediatric playroom and an emphasis on family-centered care to allow more opportunity for parental involvement.
Dupont's new pediatric intensive care unit, located in a secured area just beyond the pediatric inpatient unit, is set to open Monday. It will be supported by pediatric specialists and offer advanced monitoring equipment and ventilators. Like the pediatric inpatient unit, it will have sleeper sofas for parents and private bathrooms.
"Lutheran Children's Hospital has always delivered care with the knowledge that children are special people, not just small adults," said Mike Poore, regional president and chief executive officer, Lutheran Health Network. "The expansion of inpatient pediatric care at Dupont is already benefitting from that solid foundation."
A separate but concurrent renovation at Dupont included the addition of 10 private neonatal intensive care beds, which will bring the total number of private NICU beds on the hospital's third floor to 25.
This new section of Dupont's Level III NICU was constructed in space that was left shelled during the hospital's first major expansion in 2006. It will also open Friday, at which time the existing NICU rooms will be taken out of service to undergo renovation with an expected completion of spring 2019.
Including beds located in an open NICU overflow area on Dupont's second floor, the hospital will soon have the capacity to care for 33 total preemies with 24/7 in-house coverage from board-certified neonatologists. All third floor NICU rooms at Dupont, including those designed for multiples, are private.
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