Mercy Hospital of Folsom’s brand-new Progressive Care Unit
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“The emphasis in the PCU—and in the hospital’s entire nursing department—is
always on the patients. Our goal is to ensure
that they are getting the best care possible.”
—Theresa Nero, RN, Vice President of
Nursing and Chief Nurse Executive
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Expanding the Hospital’s Capacity and Capabilities
Mercy Hospital of Folsom’s latest expansion perfectly dovetails with the needs of the hospital and the growing community it serves. In May of this year, the hospital unveiled its new, state-of-the-art Progressive Care Unit (PCU), a 21-bed, all-private-room facility designed to expand both the hospital’s capacity and its capabilities. Built beneath the facility’s Cummings Emergency Pavilion, the $15 million PCU represents a 25 percent increase in inpatient beds, bringing the hospital’s total inpatient bed count to 106.
Today, just a few short months after the PCU’s grand opening, the unit has become a positive and well-received addition for Mercy Folsom patients and their loved ones.
Caring for the Whole Family
Because family members are often deeply involved in their loved ones’ care, the PCU rooms were designed to accommodate them as well as the patient. “We recognize the important role families play in the healing process, so our rooms are both patient-friendly and family-friendly,” says Theresa Nero, RN, Vice President of Nursing and Chief Nurse Executive. “Each room is designed to provide a holistic healing environment with warm earth-toned colors, beautiful artwork and comfortable furnishings.”
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Loveseats by day turn into beds by night so family members can stay over. The
eco-friendly flooring is made of recycled rubber, which helps to keep the unit quiet. In addition, all the rooms feature large windows, which provide abundant natural light. For patients unable to move about, beds can be turned into chairs, allowing them to sit up. The unit is also designed to serve patients with special needs: Two rooms are set up as isolation rooms with negative airflow, and two rooms are equipped with ceiling lifts and larger furniture for bariatric patients.
Compassionate, Highly Skilled Nursing
Nurses from throughout the Sacramento region were eager to be a part of the new PCU. The hospital received more than 400 applications for 44 available positions. Nero and her team worked diligently to ensure that they found the most qualified nurses to staff the new unit. “The environment is healing, but the people are what make the unit so wonderful,” she says. “Our nurses are all clinically competent, but we also hired them for their heart and compassion. They care about each patient as individuals, and it shows. Our nurses are exactly the people I’d want to take care of me or a family member.”
The latest technology in a comfortable, healing environment
Here is a look at some of the unit’s many features and advantages:
- 21 all-private rooms, each with 24-hour cardiac monitoring and a dedicated computer for bedside charting
- 24,000 total square feet
- One nurse for every three patients
- On-site physical therapy and infection control
- Patients assessed at least every two hours
- Central telemetry monitoring room
