CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Chesapeake Regional Healthcare is expanding. The hospital system is holding a dedication ceremony for a brand new Intensive Care Unit that will open for patients next week.
10 On Your Side got a sneak peek at the $60 million addition that was built on top of the current hospital.

The space has 30 extra large rooms with ICU beds for critically ill patients and space for the family. There is room for family members to sleep in the room along with an electronic whiteboard which allows for two-way communication between families and clinicians.

Hospital staff helped design the space allowing for better workflow and safety.

“Our nursing staff and our respiratory therapy staff worked on designing down to where outlets went down on these booms,” said Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Jeannine Simon.

Nursing can be back-breaking work. “We designed the space so there’s less bending and moving; it’s more ergonomically designed,” Simon told 10 On Your Side.

Chief of Nursing & Chief Operations Officer, Amber Egyud, showed another safety feature on the ceiling. “Every room was built with what is called a Hoyer lift that allows us to lift patients up to 700 lbs safely for the patient and the staff.”

Last year, 1,964 patients were discharged from the old ICU at Chesapeake Regional. The floor above the new ICU is designed as an exact replica. It will be used as a step-down unit, but could convert to another ICU if needed. It’s something top of mind while building during the pandemic.

“It’s a very stressful time for families and we wanted to make sure that this becomes a place of hope and healing for our community for years to come,” Egyud said.

The Hospital’s expansion plans include several phases with a total budget of $150 million.
The next phase will be to expand the Mother-Baby unit. The old ICU will be demolished to create a new larger space for new families. Chesapeake Regional delivers about 3,000 babies a year.