GROWTH

$2.2 million IRMC facelift clears first hurdle; work would happen over 15 months

Janet Begley
Special to TCPalm
Renovations to patient rooms at Indian River Medical Center are going much slower than anticipated, with only 16 rooms completed as the hospital heads into its busiest time of the year.

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY —  A plan to modernize 216 patient rooms at Indian River Medical Center has gotten its first green light from the Hospital District.

The $2.2 million dollar facelift still needs the approval of the IRMC Finance Committee and Board of Directors.

Renovations would be conducted over a 15-month period, with half completed between September and December, and the rest beginning in September 2018, according to Chief Nursing Officer Linda Walton.

By staggering the work, the hospital still would still have enough beds available to handle the larger number of patients admitted between January and May, traditionally its busiest time.

“The hospital was built 40 years ago, when care was delivered in a different way than today,” said Walton, who presented the renovation proposal Thursday with IRMC Facilities Director Matt DePino.

She said current rooms are too small and give patients a closed-in feeling, furnishings and facilities such as toilets and sinks are outdated, showers need new tile and there is a lack of storage for patient equipment.

Each patient room on the second, third and fourth floors would receive about $10,000 in renovations according to the proposal. A partial dividing wall in each room would be removed, allowing for a more open flow.

New showers and toilets would be installed and additional cabinets would be placed to store hospital equipment and patient items.

Hospital District trustee Ann Marie McCrystal asked why the entire project couldn’t be completed more quickly. Walton said the hospital could not renovate all 210 patient rooms at the same time because it would have too few rooms available for patients during the busiest time of the year.

Hospital District Chairwoman Mary Beth Cunningham said she recognizes it will take some time to do the renovations but the most important consideration is maintaining a high level of care.

“I know it takes time to put the plan together and do it right,” said Cunningham. “This is a strong signal that you believe in putting patients’ first.”

During public comment, Vero Beach resident and former IRMC Trustee Paul Nezi said he had been a patient at IRMC twice over the past few months, and while the medical care he received was excellent, the facility needs upgrades.

Several rooms he occupied during his two stays needed repairs, Nezi said, but he sang the praises of the new fifth-floor specialty unit, renovated in 2015. The new rooms, used for in-house cancer patients, are 50 percent larger than others at IRMC. 

In 2016, the hospital proposed building a wing onto the hospital that could cost $100 million and take five years to complete. But that plan has been held up while IRMC, the Hospital District and consultants from Juniper Advisory consider whether a merger between IRMC and a larger, health care system is possible. 

The collaborative committee's next meeting is 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Richardson Center at Indian River State College’s Mueller Campus in Vero Beach.