UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Two Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center projects that will improve access to and help meet demand for specialized health care services on the Hershey campus were recommended today (July 16) by the Penn State Board of Trustees Committee on Finance, Business and Capital Planning for consideration by the full board.
The proposal will be voted on by the full board on July 17.
Medical Intensive Care Unit expansion
The seventh floor of the Hospital South Addition, which currently houses the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Continuing Care Nursery and Pediatrics Progressive Care, will be vacated upon completion of the Children’s Hospital Expansion project this fall.
To relieve adult bed capacity pressures, a nearly $25 million renovation is planned to convert the vacated seventh floor space into a 24-bed floor for the Medical Intensive Care Unit, currently a 16-bed unit on the hospital’s sixth floor. The project will include nurse and physician workspace, equipment storage, anesthesia space, and soiled and clean storage. Additionally, the appropriate infrastructure will be constructed to provide the ability to support future surges of special pathogen patients, such as those with COVID-19 infections.
The design for the renovation is currently being finalized by FLAD Architects of Madison, Wisconsin. Construction is scheduled to start in fall 2020 and be completed in spring 2022.
Radiation / Oncology renovations
A multi‐phase renovation on the hospital ground floor for the newly established Department of Radiation Oncology will accommodate specialized imaging technology that will keep Hershey Medical Center on the leading edge with 4D planning and treatment delivery. This technology allows greater precision to accurately treat tumors while sparing healthy tissue.
The project will create space for a new device and associated support spaces, such as equipment storage, care team work space and dosimetrist and physician planning spaces. Displaced office and conference room space will be relocated to adjacent non‐clinical care space.
BDA Architects of Clark Summit, Pa. is finalizing the renovation design for the $12 million project. Construction is scheduled to start in July and be completed in February 2022.