New, expanded Medical Intensive Care Unit opens at Hershey Medical Center
Patients are now being treated in the new, expanded Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The 24-bed unit that opened today on the seventh floor of Hershey Medical Center replaces the previous 16-bed unit on the sixth floor, which will be renovated into additional patient care space.
The new MICU was designed with extensive feedback from patients, families and staff. The larger, state-of-the-art rooms are designed with a warm, inviting feel and include a family space – with fold-out sofa – outside of the immediate care space. This layout allows family to be present while staff care for the patient.
Natural light and warm, inviting spaces create a bright, open feel in both patient and staff spaces throughout the unit.
Staff wellness areas include a “quiet room” to help team members recharge as well as a staff lounge and mothers’ lounge.
The new, expanded Medical Intensive Care Unit at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is designed to foster collaboration between doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and others who provide care. This is achieved by providing each profession with dedicated space within an open layout that allows for easy communication.
In addition, the MICU is designed to foster collaboration between doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and other team members. This is achieved by providing each profession with dedicated space within an open layout that allows for easy communication.
“Our new MICU provides the most advanced medical intensive care in the region, which is what patients expect from the region’s only academic medical center,” said Deborah Berini, president of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. “This new unit is special beyond the technology. It was designed by our physicians, staff and patients to create a care environment that supports our teams as they work together to deliver unparalleled outcomes and patient- and family-centered care.”
The new MICU includes appropriate infrastructure and flexibility for future surges of special pathogen patients, such as those with COVID-19 infections. In addition, one dual isolation room and two patient-of-size rooms will support patient and staff safety.
The new MICU is the latest in a series of projects designed to improve patient access and the patient experience at Hershey Medical Center. Others include the Emergency Department expansion, the three-floor vertical expansion of Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, renovations to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit on the second floor and the upcoming renovations to the third floor of the Medical Center.
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