UF Health has revealed a renovated unit at Shands Hospital for burn and wound patients opening next month.
After two-and-a-half years, Shands will open a new burn and wound care unit on Sunday, said Brad Pollitt, Shands’ vice president of facilities, in an email. The new unit cost $30 million.
“This new ICU at UF Health Shands Hospital reinforces our commitment to providing irreplaceable, critical health care to those who come to us from every county in Florida and throughout the Southeast,” Pollitt said.
The unit will be 34,000 square feet with 27 individual rooms, Pollitt said.
This new unit will be used to care for patients with burns, severe skin disorders and those requiring specialized treatment after reconstructive surgery, he said.
“These new rooms are larger to accommodate the care of these patients and to provide optimal care during lengthy hospital stays,” Pollitt said.
At one time, there were 54 patient beds designated as pediatric, cardiac, surgical and neurological intensive care units, Pollitt said.
Of these 54 patient beds, 30 moved to the new UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital in a cardiac unit, which has 48 beds total, providing 18 more beds for patients. The remaining 24 original beds moved to another floor in Shands with space for 30 beds, which will make six additional beds available, Pollitt said.
“The renovated ICU is a major step forward in state-of-the-art patient care,” Pollitt said.
It incorporates features such as direct access to the operating room to lessen the chances of infection, a rehab gym, spaces for hydrotherapy and bariatric treatment, and other improvements, Pollitt said.
For the 2.5 years the unit has been under construction, there were no working rooms dedicated to it. However, the renovation will not only lead to more beds, but also an increase in staff, Pollitt said.
Ed Jimenez, the CEO of Shands, said this new unit is a step forward.
“This renovation is another step forward for patient care in Florida. The space matches the extraordinary talent of our faculty and staff,” Jimenez said. “We are thrilled at what the future holds.”
UF Health Family Medical Center opened in Bradford County on May 1.
