Inside Look

Abstract

In a town best known for being home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a gleaming, innovative facility featuring a new heart center, birth center, and emergency room opened its doors earlier this year.The state-of-the-art building, known as Aultman 2010, is the newest component of the Aultman Hospital system, based in Canton, OH. Perhaps one of the most novel aspects of the creation of the facility was Aultman management's reliance on clinical engineering to help make sure the project was done right.According to Christine Pontones, Aultman's director of clinical engineering, she and her staff were involved in planning and developing aspects of the new facility “from the beginning.”“I really have to praise the execs here,” says Pontones. “I did my best to make sure they didn't forget about clinical engineering before the project began, and they sure didn't forget about us after it began.”The first, second, and third floors of Aultman 2010 house the heart center, which offers everything from diagnostic testing to cardiovascular surgery to cardiac rehab. The first floor also features the emergency department and trauma center. The birth center is located on the fourth floor, and includes private birthing suites and a neonatal intensive care unit.“Because our biomed shop is involved with electronics, we were consulted on the selection and installation of the new phone systems, the nurse call system, the televisions for patient rooms—we were part of the decision-making process from Day One,” recalls Pontones. “We were consultants. We were responsible for verifying that the appropriate equipment was ordered and installed properly.“People often think of clinical engineering as being responsible for patient safety—and we are. But we're also involved with patient satisfaction. For example, demonstrating to management the different flat screen TV options for patient rooms was a lot of fun.“The establishment of Aultman 2010 was a classic team effort,” says Pontones. “I'm just thrilled that our department was given an opportunity to play a significant role in the project.”In addition to flat-screen televisions in each patient room, Aultman 2010's patient-centered enhancements include private rooms in the emergency room, heart center, and birth center; centrally located testing facilities and equipment to reduce the need to transport patients throughout the hospital; and multiple family waiting areas on each floor.According to Edward J. Roth III, president and CEO of Aultman, “we are committed to making every Aultman experience outstanding for our patients, their families, and visitors.”Now that the facility is up and running, Pontones and her clinical engineering crew are just as involved in its success as ever.“Naturally, our role has shifted since the opening of the facility,” she says. “Now we're here to support the existing systems, and to keep up with changes in technology so we can make proper decisions on purchases.”