On Saturday, April 27, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital moved 112 inpatients to the hospital’s new home in the historic Charlestown Navy Yard. The carefully choreographed one-day “move our strength” effort was the result of months of planning and preparation. Staff and volunteers executed the plan and transferred the last patient 45 minutes ahead of schedule.
“All day I’ve watched you ‘move our strength’ with extraordinary skill, precision, passion and compassion,” Partners Continuing Care president David Storto said in congratulatory comments to staff following the move. “I have never felt so proud of the tremendous staff from across the Spaulding Network and Partners HealthCare at Home, who worked so effectively together and in a way that gives teamwork an entirely new meaning.”
The first new replacement hospital in Boston in more than 30 years, the 262,000-square foot, 132-bed facility has an innovative patient-centered design that will enable new methods of delivering care.
- An aquatic therapy center features a large therapy pool and a smaller resistance-training pool.
- Nature, light and the outdoors were incorporated into the design to aid in the healing process.
- The exterior has an extensive outdoor therapy garden and incorporates a variety of surfaces such as sand, cobblestones, concrete stairs and a boardwalk.
All patient rooms are private and line the exterior of the building so they receive the maximum amount of natural light. All aspects of the hospital were created for both functional and therapeutic value.
“For far too long, rehabilitative care was an afterthought to many, relegated to the basements of hospitals and out of sight. This hospital makes a bold statement that a new era in rehabilitative medicine is here by bringing together scientific innovation and patient-centered design that puts this institution on par with the major centers of healing in the world,” said Storto.
Also a research center, Spaulding is conducting more than 100 studies in such areas as Parkinson’s disease, stroke and cerebral palsy. It recently became only the second hospital in the country to hold three simultaneous, national model systems designations from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research in burn injury rehabilitation, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.
In keeping with its mission of advocacy, the new hospital is a national model for inclusive design. The goal was “to go beyond compliance and set a new standard in accessibility,” Storto said.
Features that make the building accessible to all include motion-activated doors, water faucets and paper towel dispensers. Sinks have a shallow bowl to minimize reaching.
Patient care unit desks and information desks have “cut-outs” to allow for easy, straight-on wheelchair access. Closet doors in patient rooms swing open 180 degrees so a person in a wheelchair can have full access.
In addition, Spaulding has won a Leadership in Energy and Environment Design gold certification for a green design that is expected to be 35 percent more energy efficient than the US standard for similar facilities.
Annually, Spaulding serves more than 2,500 inpatients and almost 30,000 outpatients.
Spaulding’s new address is 300 First Avenue, Charlestown 02129, and the new main telephone number is 617-952-5000.
Adapted from a Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital news release.
