Carilion Roanoke gets vertical upgrade

Carilion Roanoke (Va.) Memorial Hospital’s Crystal Spring Tower is a 500,000-square-foot expansion opened in June that brings the system’s cardiovascular care network into a single location.

The tower’s vertical integration with the hospital’s newly expanded emergency department allows for seamless transitions from emergency intake to imaging, diagnostics and treatment. This allows for uninterrupted and efficient clinical workflows. Centralized services makes patient transport more efficient, speeds communication, reduces handoff errors and elevates productivity.

“Good design centers on people — their safety, well-being and experience in the space,” says Sam W. Burnette, AIA, ACHA, EDAC, NCARB, principal at ESa. “This tower was built to support healing at every level.”

Previously, catheterization and electrophysiology labs, imaging, surgery, recovery and intensive care were spread throughout departments and locations, which was inefficient and presented communication challenges. Designed by architecture firm ESa, the tower consolidates those services to improve clinical coordination and operations.

The tower also includes three shelled floors capable of supporting up to 96 inpatient beds, allowing for services to be expanded with minimal disruption. Training and education spaces integrated throughout support medical students, residents and nurses, emphasizing Carilion’s commitment to workforce development and meeting the community’s health needs as they develop.