The six-storey addition is the largest construction project in Cone Health’s 60-year history, and is designed to bring a new level of patient care and comfort. The brick and glass tower features 96 private rooms designed to enhance the safety and care of patients; 16 large, modern operating rooms; an expanded emergency department; and an easier access to the hospital from Church Street through a new main entrance.
The building has been designed to enhance the healing process. The patient rooms have been arranged in an oval formation to allow infiltration of natural light, offer privacy, and reduce noise levels. Separate areas are included for family members who want to stay overnight. Special care has been taken to increase patient comfort with rimless showers to reduce the risk of falls. Nursing work stations are featured throughout the floors.
The larger operating rooms in North Tower are designed to provide better layouts ensuring smooth work flows for equipment and surgical teams. A hybrid operating room enables advanced heart and vascular work in a minimally invasive manner by moving patients and supplies in and out of the operating rooms through a “sterile core.” This design uses dedicated elevators and hallways to improve efficiency and to protect the privacy of patients. A larger waiting area has been built in the emergency department with 78 treatment areas laid out in pods designed to help staff to quickly assess and treat.
The expansion project has also added a fountain and a “healing garden” for families and visitors at the entrance. The interiors of the building are adorned with more than 70 photographs by six North Carolina artists, which focus on patient care.
The design of North Tower has also employed socially responsible architecture. North Tower will be the first healthcare facility in the state and one of only three hospitals in the US to heat and cool patient rooms with “chilled beams,” a water/convection heating and air-conditioning system that is up to 30% more efficient than most current hospital systems. It also features 53 roof-top solar panels that heat water.
