Richmond, TX… Over 100 community leaders attended the ribbon cutting for OakBend Medical Center’s newly renovated fourth floor at its Jackson Street campus. The renovation is part of the hospital’s Vision 2020 campaign designed to bring the most advanced concepts for a healing environment to OakBend. These funds were supplemented by funds raised from last year’s Patchwork of Life gala which was dedicated to raising funds for the renovation of the 4th and 5th floors of the hospital.
The floors are designed to mirror the hospital’s Jack and Billie Wendt Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit. The rooms were upgraded and the lighting is a reflected lighting which provides not only a warmer atmosphere, but it does not have the glare of regular hospital fluorescent lights. There is now a comfortable visitation area in the center of the floor for patients and family to gather and visit outside of the hospital room setting. As is the case in the ACE Unit, there is a communal dining area for patients, designed to get the patients out of their bed and moving. Studies have shown that the sooner patients get out of bed and begin walking, the shorter their hospital stay. In fact, the ACE Unit has a 40% faster recovery rate than the national average reducing hospital stays from 5 days to 3-1/2 days and this is the kind of recovery rate that the hospital has set for all of its units.
“It’s all about making our patients, our families and our visitors welcome and comfortable,” said Joe Freudenberger, CEO of OakBend Medical Center during the ribbon cutting.