Operating rooms and other spaces that were previously out of use are being fully updated and equipped to restore surgical services, giving patients in the Laredo area a new, centrally located place to go for specialized care. The focus at the Providence facility will be on supporting lower acuity (less serious) procedures, such as ophthalmology, dental and ear/nose/throat surgeries, as well as low acuity general and orthopedic surgeries. This will open up more OR capacity at Doctors Hospital of Laredo for more acute surgeries, such as general surgery, weight-loss, orthopedic, gynecological and vascular procedures.
“We’ve been working with the city and other entities to be in the forefront with strategic planning,” says the hospital’s Chief Operating Officer Raymond Ramos, MPH, FACHE. “Within the next 15 to 20 years, the city is expected to almost double in size,” he says. “This is one way to improve our surgical capacity and overall hospital operations, and ensure that patients have access to the high-quality services they need,” Ramos says.
Along with surgical care, the newly renovated Providence Health Center will continue to house an inpatient rehab nursing unit, laboratory draw station and radiology services. These areas will also be refreshed as part of the renovation project. This is a “comprehensive facility upgrade,” bringing back surgical services and beautifying the center inside and out, Ramos says.
Highlights of our $7+ million Providence Health Center project include:
- Re-equipping three operating rooms, the post anesthesia care unit (PACU), pre-op and central sterile departments to restore surgical operations
- Replacing outdated infrastructure components and enhancing the lobby and interior building aesthetics, including painting, installing new tile flooring and adding new way-finding signage to create a more welcoming and modern space
Renovations are planned to be completed in early 2019 at the Providence Health Center, located at 230 Calle Del Norte.