BY MIKE FUHRMAN

Construction of the new Critical Care Unit at Iredell Memorial Hospital is now completed and on track to open in mid-July.

The 16 new state-of-the-art CCU rooms, which feature dialysis hookups and bariatric lifts, are part of a $22 million expansion, which also included construction of new rooms for the emergency department.

Once the new CCU rooms are operational, work to replace the old rooms with 11 more new rooms will begin. That phase is scheduled for completion by year’s end.

“We are pleased to see phase two of our three-phase critical care and emergency department expansion completed at this time,” Iredell Health System President & CEO John Green said. “This was a significant and timely decision by our Board of Directors, comprised of individuals from our local community, back in 2022 to ensure we are continuing to look at today’s needs and tomorrow’s challenges.”

Scott Graham, director of engineering for Iredell Health System, is overseeing the multi-phase project. The first two phases have come in on time and on budget, he said.

Planning for the expansion ramped up the day after Davis Regional Medical Center announced it would cease operating as a full-service hospital and focus solely on behavioral health, a decision that has increased the patient volume significantly at Iredell Memorial.

Rogers Builders Inc. is the general contractor on the project.

The new rooms are significantly larger than the old rooms and have plenty of natural light. 

The CCU provides care for patients receiving treatment for heart and respiratory conditions, kidney failure, sepsis, and other serious conditions.

Building the new CCU on top of the newly expanded emergency department created a few logistical challenges, Graham said. For example, all of the oxygen lines had to be moved. An oxygen truck was brought in for one day to ensure that part of the went off without a hitch.

For the 35-plus CCU employees, there are upgrades to their workspace and improved storage areas. There’s also adequate room for the medical staff to meet and review each patient’s plan of care and progress.

CCU Director Kathy Lail and Assistant Director Danielle Simmons said they are excited about providing care in the new and improved space.

“It’s so enlightening and exciting for what we are going to be able to do for the community,” said Becky Wagner, vice president of nursing and patient services for Iredell Health System.