Investing in our staff and the patient experience

Joe Frank, interim president for Penn State Health St. Joseph, sent the following email to employees on Jan. 26.

Now that we are into 2021, I want to highlight the many capital improvements that are underway on our Downtown Reading and Bern Township campuses.  These priority projects will have a positive impact on both clinical staff and patient experience for years to come and signify Penn State Health’s commitment to invest in the future of St. Joseph Medical Center.

One of the most significant improvements is a four-phase renovation of our catheterization laboratory spaces:

• Phase 1: Completed in February 2018, the first phase included construction of our state-of-the-art hybrid catheterization laboratory, which was recognized in 2020 with an excellence award for medical renovation design.
• Phase 2: Underway now, Phase 2 includes the upgrading of equipment in an existing lab to support the latest cardiac, vascular and interventional procedures.
• Phase 3: This phase will feature a complete remodeling of the electrophysiology room and installation of cutting-edge equipment that will improve efficiency, image quality and staff and patient safety.
• Phase 4: In the final phase, we will upgrade our current procedural room with the latest technology to perform various cardiac and vascular procedures.

These investments in the hospital are also investments in Berks Cardiology. This group of talented cardiologists, working with highly-trained catheterization lab and nursing staff, has been an innovator in heart care for decades in Berks County. These investments add to their growing capabilities as they hold the key to our successful future and the road back from COVID.

We also are on track for an early February installation and March rollout of a new Siemens MRI unit. The Sola 1.5T wide bore unit accommodates larger patients and helps ease patient anxiety. It has the potential to decrease exam times by up to 50% over our current unit, while achieving consistently high-quality imaging. In addition, the Quiet Suite allows for up to 70% noise reduction in sound pressure for neurology and orthopedic exams. Also, we have the capability to offer cardiac exams and non-invasive prostate MRIs.

In December, we started construction within the Nuclear Medicine Department to make way for the addition of a Siemens Symbia Evo™ SPECT nuclear medicine scanner (single-photon emission computerized tomography) and a Siemens Biograph mCT Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT). These technology upgrades will offer an in-house Cardiology and Oncology PET/CT service line with better patient accessibility. Completion of the project is projected for early April.

In addition, we are renovating space and upgrading the lighting and booms in seven operating rooms in the hospital, renovating suite 103 in the Medical Office Building to improve access and care for our bariatric patient population and completing multiple other infrastructure improvements across both campuses. Although we have experienced some delays due to COVID-19 and various regulatory requirements, we expect the projects to move forward as planned.

These investments are clear recognition by Penn State Health of the value St. Joseph Medical Center adds to the health system. Such investments also extend to our people, especially as we work to ensure expedited access to the COVID vaccine. If you want to receive the vaccine and have yet to receive your first dose, schedule your appointment by Friday, Jan. 29. After that date, our vaccine clinics will shift to focus fully on administering second doses to employees and students, and to care for our patients and community medical partners. Employees who wish to receive the vaccine at a later date may do so through a process that Employee Health is developing. If you are unsure about being vaccinated, learn more by visiting our resources page.

As always, thank you for your continued efforts to support each other and deliver safe, high-quality care.

Joe Frank
Interim president
Penn State Health St. Joseph

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