UNC Hospitals to build Surgical Tower in front of N.C. Memorial Hospital

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

UNC Health Care has chosen a location for UNC Hospitals’ planned Surgical Tower project: directly in front of the N.C. Memorial Hospital. When the tower is complete it will provide patients and families with easier access to surgical services and create a more modern façade at the front of N.C. Memorial Hospital.

“After weighing various options on our constrained campus, this was by far the best spot for a variety of factors,” said Dr. Brian Goldstein, UNC Hospitals Chief Operating Officer. “We look forward to finalizing the designs this year and beginning construction of this important project in 2017.”

The Surgical Tower will replace aging facilities with larger, modern operating suites and associated support services. The existing operating rooms, built in the 1950s, are small by modern standards, especially for complex cases that require larger teams of surgeons and other specialists. The new facility will enable physicians to treat patients more efficiently.

To fund the project, UNC Hospitals has received approvals from the General Assembly and UNC Board of Governors to borrow up to $250 million by selling bonds later this year.

The Surgical Tower project was previously considered for several other sites on UNC Hospitals Chapel Hill campus, including the main loading dock at UNC Hospitals. The location in front of Memorial Hospital will reduce the cost of the project and avoid the headaches of relocating the loading dock and nearby ambulance bays during construction.

 

Source : news.unchealthcare.org