Mass. General expansion

[Bobby Digital]

Thursday, May 24, 2007
State approves Mass. General expansion plan
By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff

The state's Public Health Council today unanimously approved a major expansion at Masaschusetts General Hospital that will increase the number of operating suites, add more private rooms, and allow ambulances to arrive protected from the weather and prying eyes.

The heart of the nearly $500 million expansion is a new 10-story building that will rise in the shadow of the hospital's iconic entrance on Fruit Street. The total number of beds at Mass. General will increase from 902 to 1,052, while the roster of operating rooms will grow from 52 to 71.

The project is expected to be completed by October 2011, and hospital administrators pledged that the new tower will be built to high environmental standards.

Regular crowding in the emergency room was cited as a prime reason for the expansion. Patients wait on average 7 to 8 hours in the hospital's bustling room because there aren't beds available elsewhere in the hospital to accept cases.

"If you ask me what keeps me awake at night, it's the fact that we have overcrowding in our emergency department," said Dr. Alasdair Conn, chief of emergency medicine at Mass. General. "Frankly, it gets very cramped. But emergency department overcrowding is not an emergency problem -- it's a hospital overcrowding problem."

As part of its deal with the state to win approval for the expansion, Mass. General is pledging to spend $18.6 million on community initiatives to address substance abuse, violence and healthcare disparities.

Posted by Karen Weintraub at 11:27 AM

 

[Bobby Digital]

ATTN haters. Karen what's her face made the typo. not me.

Oh yea and anybody else think its HORRIBLE that Mass General had to bribe the state to get this approved?

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

ATTN haters. Karen what's her face made the typo. not me.

Oh yea and anybody else think its HORRIBLE that Mass General had to bribe the state to get this approved?

Where does it say that MBG bribed anyone?!

Also, 10 STORIES IS NOT A FUCKING TOWER!!!!

 

[Bobby Digital]

As part of its deal with the state to win approval for the expansion, Mass. General is pledging to spend $18.6 million on community initiatives to address substance abuse, violence and healthcare disparities.

I'd call that a bribe, more or less. Its a hospital, it serves the people. Its essential to modern life, it saves them. Mass Gen wants to build another building to improve care and speed of service, approve it right away. WTF.

 

[chumbolly]

Putting aside politics and height, does this mean the ugly-ass parking garage is getting the boot? I think we can all come together in support of that.

 

[singbat]

Putting aside politics and height, does this mean the ugly-ass parking garage is getting the boot? I think we can all come together in support of that.

also, which one -- they sit on both sides of the "driveway".

10 stories shouldn't be much taller than the ambulatory building, if at all. will increase the canyon effect, though -- a good thing, imho, given the already dense surroundings.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

I'd call that a bribe, more or less. Its a hospital, it serves the people. Its essential to modern life, it saves them. Mass Gen wants to build another building to improve care and speed of service, approve it right away. WTF.

That isn't a bribe. It sounds like the city is asking the hospital to pay for these services an in return the hospital is getting what it wants. That's just how these things work.

A bribe would be under the table.

 

[nico]

Whether it's technically a bribe or not, the need for increased emergency capacity at the hospital should be significant enough grounds for the expansion. In recent years hospitals in Stoneham, Medford, Malden, and I'm sure other cities/towns have all closed their doors, increasing the volume at other area hospitals. (Not exactly sure what the status of Lawrence Memorial is) Anyone who's had experience in Mass General's emergency room knows that this has been needed for a long time.

 

[Bobby Digital]

i know how things work man. and i know what a bribe is. Just saying the state shouldnt have any demands and should be more helpful in the process, its a hospital for god sake. I know they make money too, but shit is needed.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Just saying the state shouldnt have any demands and should be more helpful in the process

But... this is Massachusetts. If it didn't work this way the hole thing would fall apart!