Regional Medical Center Approved for Expansion, Replacement Facility

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Regional Medical Center at Memphis (MED) Board of Directors unanimously approved resolutions that will allow the hospital to proceed with an expansion plan. Approval from the Tennessee Health Services Development Agency is the next step in process to update the facility.

The $32.4 million project is broken down in to two parts: $30 million will build on three unfinished floors in the Turner Tower, where the Firefighters Regional Burn Center is located, and $2.4 million will expand the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center.

The two large-scale projects include renovations to the Critical Care Assessment area in the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center, and the development and renovation of unused space in Turner Tower, including expansion of the burn center. The expansion of the burn center will benefit those who have, or will in the future, experience injuries as a result of being scalded in some way. In situations where this occurs due to another’s negligence, the victim may want to consider a burn injury lawsuit to get justice for what has happened to them.

The design of the Critical Care Assessment area is outdated and includes limited assessment space, according to a statement on the medical center’s website. Square footage will be added in the trauma center, including modernizations and increased assessment space. Renovation work is projected to be complete in December 2012.

Turner Tower was constructed in 1992 and has three floors that have never been built out. As one of the newest buildings on campus, it is better suited to accommodate modern and more patient-centered care facilities.

The Turner Tower project includes relocating services from other areas of the hospital, increasing capacity and improving patient and guest experiences. The $30 million capital project will build out three vacant floors in the tower, install required infrastructure upgrades, and renovate other areas in the building.

The project includes:
• Relocation, expansion and modernization of the inpatient rehabilitation unit
• Creation of a new outpatient ambulatory surgery unit
• Opening a 24 private room unit for adult acute care patients
• Expansion of the dedicated burn inpatient surgery suite to accommodate a second burn operating room
• Relocation of the critical care waiting room

Reginald W. Coopwood, M.D., president and CEO, of the hospital hopes to have the project’s state approvals finished by December. The entire project is slated for completion in December 2013.