Kathleen Rockhold, left, led a team that orchestrated the move of more than a dozen sub-specialties and primary care to the new Beeghly campus expansion, which opened July 11. Here she briefs staff on details pertaining to the opening.
The stage is set. The curtain is about to be lifted. But before the show can begin, the players must perform a dress rehearsal, right?
Whether in theater or with a major hospital expansion project like the one at the Beeghly campus in Boardman, it’s critical to be prepared to handle anything that might happen – from safety and security measures like “Where are the nearest fire exits?” down to housekeeping details such as “Who gets the first call when a child throws up in the waiting room?”
On the day prior to the Building A expansion’s formal opening to the public on July 11, staff and volunteers went through safety rounds in the format of a scavenger hunt, and patient simulation studies – aka “mock patient drills” – to prepare for working in the new space.
Cindy Cook, an LPN with the ACHP Boardman office moving into the new Beeghly expansion, stocks supplies and readies an exam room for the opening.
Not only are these steps Joint Commission requirements, but according to Kathleen Rockhold, one of the many orchestrators of the move of more than a dozen sub-specialties and primary care services to Beeghly, it’s important for the staff to feel empowered to solve problems.
“We want to make sure our staff is very well-versed not only on, ‘Where are the nearest fire extinguishers and AEDs?’ but ‘Who is the first in line to solve an issue?’” said Rockhold, pediatric specialties operations manager, Akron Children’s Mahoning Valley.
Staff supporting the specialty services moving to Beeghly – from orthopedics, sports medicine, heart, allergy, pulmonary, neurology and several others – are excited to provide an excellent patient experience in the new space, Rockhold said, particularly because it was designed through the eyes of a child.
Sheila Rodgers-Marsh from support services helps ready the patient reception area in the new Beeghly expansion for its opening.
“From the moment the child arrives and throughout their entire experience, the flow, room design and décor were all developed with the patient family’s perspective.”
Roughly 5 dozen staff, providers and numerous hospital departments participated in the day-before-opening activities, all geared to help make for a smooth transition and efficient flow for both patient families and staff, Rockhold said.
ACHP Boardman providers Sarah Watkins, nurse practitioner, left, and Dr. Therese Linnon were among the providers who performed mock patient drills to ready for the Beeghly expansion opening.
