Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (HRRMC) has completed upgrades to its intensive care unit (ICU) with negative pressure ventilation systems for patient rooms. This system has become the standard of care since the hospital was built in 2008. Negative pressure rooms support infection control and isolation for patients with highly contagious airborne illnesses, such as COVID, tuberculosis, SARS, and MERS.
Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center
“This is an important project for our patients and for our community,” explained Lezlie Burkley, HRRMC Foundation Director. “The addition of negative pressure functionality means that our ICU staff, patients, and visitors are that much more protected from airborne diseases.”
The project was completed within a two-week window this past December with the support of a grant from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) in 2021 that covered more than 50 percent of the total project expense.
“Due to the impact of COVID, the timeframe for this remodel was intensified,” Burkley added. “DOLA was instrumental in supporting this project financially. They have been an important partner on several HRRMC expansion projects in the past two years.”
In addition to two ICU rooms, HRRMC also has an adjacent inpatient room outfitted with a negative pressure ventilation system. The adjacent room will support ICU overflow, as well as isolation of a non-ICU patient. Each negative pressure room also has access to its own bathroom, helping to further reduce the risk of exposure for staff and other patients.
According to Bob Morasko, HRRMC CEO, “This negative pressure system was a necessary change that provides a higher standard of care and allows our inpatient healthcare services to be adaptable and responsive to current and future needs.”
For more information about the HRRMC Foundation’s initiatives, contact Lezlie Burkley at 719-530-2218 or visit HRRMC.com/Foundation.
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