The public got a first-hand look at the newly renovated and expanded operating room facility at Scotland Memorial Hospital. The new facility is part of $64 million renovation project at the hospital and represents Phase I. Phase 2 will include the renovating and repurposing of the current OR. The hospital will begin use of the new OR facility on Oct. 21.
Tomeka Sinclair | The Laurinburg Exchange
LAURINBURG — A year ago, Scotland County Health Care System officials and staff witnessed the placing of the top-most steel beam on the frame of Scotland Memorial Hospital’s largest expansion which would feature an Imaging Department, a renovated Surgical Services Department, and a new operating room facility.
This week the public got a first-hand look at the result of that construction as Surgical Services staff conducted tours showcasing six new ORs with state-of-the-art equipment, a new Post-Acute Care Unit, and more during an open house held on Tuesday.
The staff boasted the newest equipment, spacious rooms as well as an overall well-lit atmosphere during their tours.
“I’m really excited about this first of all because these facilities are going to be as good or better than any operating room in the North Carolina state and really that’s our commitment,” said David Pope, CEO of the Scotland Healthcare System. “If we’re going to do something, we’re going to do it that high level so that the communities that we serve get the same level of quality that they would get from going anywhere else.”
The current operating rooms, built back in the 1980s, are significantly smaller than the new ORs. Pope said that most operating rooms built in this era were in the middle of the hospital and during the winter, staff who began surgery at 5 a.m. would work through the entire day without seeing sunlight.
“Having natural lights, the break rooms and the area around the operating rooms, it’ll be just a better environment for our teammates … We’re really trying to make this a nice place for people to work, for surgeons to come and join our team and be part of what we’re doing here,” Wood said.
Pope added that the new OR’s physical environment will now match the “high quality” of staff at Scotland Health.
The new facility is part of $64 million renovation project at the hospital and represents Phase I. Phase 2 will include the renovating and repurposing of the current OR into pre- and post-service rooms for outpatient surgery. This is the largest capital project Scotland Health has ever done, Pope said.
“We see it as an investment. This extension, this renovation, this expansion is something to keep us competitive with other people, other systems in the state of North Carolina for the next 30 years,” Pope said.
The goal in taking on the massive project is to give people throughout the region the care they need right here instead of driving two hours to Raleigh or Charlotte, according to the CEO. Pope said this will allow patients to have that family support, the support of their neighbors, and the support of their churches.
“Some of our community members just don’t have the resources to be able to travel … Your health status should not be determined by the zip code you’re living in,” Pope said. “We’re making a commitment for the communities we serve here in Scotland County and over in Pembroke and down in Marlboro County that we’re gonna give them the very best because they deserve it.”
Wood thanked surgical services staff who he said were involved in the design process. He also thanked team leaders Brandy Baysek, senior director of Surgical Services; Bebe Holt, Chief Nursing Officer; Lucien St. Onge, Chief Finance Office/COO; Shelly Lowery, Chief Medical Officer; and Christi Meggs, vice president of Human Resources.
“Without the community board and the support we had from them, we wouldn’t have been able to make this happen,” Pope said.
The hospital will begin use of the new OR facility on Oct. 21.