New Methodist Richardson Medical Center Opens April 14

By Cheryl Koch, RN, MSN, CNOR
Director of Surgical Services
Methodist Richardson Medical Center

We all know the feeling. You eagerly anticipate a special event and it seems like it takes forever for the date to arrive. Then when it finally arrives, it seems like it happens in the blink of an eye. The Methodist Richardson Medical Center family, along with the surrounding communities of Richardson, Wylie, Sachse, Murphy, Plano, and Garland, has been excited about the approaching opening date of the new hospital. Now, after many months of construction, the day is almost here.

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The new Methodist Richardson Medical Center will accept its first patient at 7 a.m., Monday, April 14. Years of planning will culminate with a week of preopening festivities. The official ribbon-cutting with Richardson civic and business leaders will take place at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9. Then mark your calendars for our community Grand Opening Party and Healthy Kids Day (in association with the Richardson Family YMCA) on Saturday, April 12, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Citizens of Richardson and surrounding communities are invited to tour the hospital; operate some of the new technology, including the da Vinci® Surgical System; experience diagnostic and treatment facilities of the future — cardiac catheterization lab, electrophysiology lab, endovascular room, and new operating suites; meet physicians; contribute to a community mural; go on a scavenger hunt; relish picnic food; express themselves with face painting; learn the art of flying a kite; have their fingers encased in a cast; and decorate surgical caps.

While the facility will be a wonderful resource for the community and provide an advanced healing environment for our patients, the most important thing for patients to know is that our staff remains steadfast in its commitment to quality, safety, and compassionate care. We’ve been a family of caregivers working together for many years. That gives us the ability to maximize our new surroundings to their full potential to help our patients recover and heal.

The new hospital is designed with the patient in mind with spacious, all-private rooms appointed in soothing colors. Equipment has been integrated into the rooms to make work flow as easy as possible, contributing to the overall positive patient experience. The opening of the new hospital couldn’t come at a better time. Over the past several months, Methodist Richardson has experienced record volumes in our emergency department, and in March we delivered 100 babies, more than twice the number of births that we experienced just two months prior.

Other important components of the new hospital include:

  • Expanded women’s services department to accommodate the growing demands from the community
  • Two new cardiac catheterization labs equipped with the latest diagnostic and treatment technologies
  • Oversized operating rooms with large video displays
  • New pre-op holding area with all-private rooms
  • An outpatient infusion suite
  • Enhanced capability to perform additional endovascular and electrophysiology procedures — many of which are minimally invasive — thanks to new specially equipped procedure rooms
  • Additional beds, including 25 medical telemetry beds, 25 intensive care beds, and 25 intensive medical care beds, all on the 3rd floor of the new hospital
  • An expanded level III neonatal intensive care unit
  • A new bistro with outdoor seating for staff, patients, families, and visitors.

The new hospital has also incorporated design aspects that will enhance work life for our staff, improving their ability to care for their patients. Staff lounges will be located on every patient care unit, many with balconies. Equipment has been standardized throughout the facility, enabling staff to enjoy a better work experience throughout the hospital.

If you’re looking for a fresh start in a beautiful new environment working with experienced colleagues, it’s time to choose Methodist Richardson Medical Center. Learn more by visiting Jobs.MethodistHealthSystem.org.

© Methodist Health System

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Posted Cardiology, Clinical Trends, Facility Expansion, Nurses, Patient Care, Patients