If you have been to The University of Kansas Health System Great Bend Campus in the past few months, you may have noticed construction near the operating rooms and area where surgical implements and other medical tools are sterilized.

Construction on the project is expected to be complete by late summer. All four operating rooms, the perioperative areas and sterile processing department are being updated and equipped with new patient safety features. 

Each operating room (OR) renovation takes four to six weeks to complete. Only one OR at a time is undergoing renovation. Thanks to the scheduling team’s efficiency, hospital administrators said patient surgeries and other procedures aren’t affected by the construction. 

Renovation in the ORs includes removal of unnecessary doors and windows. All wood doors in the OR area have been replaced with doors made of nonporous materials. The ORs and perioperative areas are getting new floors, wall surfaces, countertops and in some areas ceilings that have nonporous, cleanable surfaces to improve prevention of infections. Two OR suites will also get new lighting.

The sterile processing department will gain about 250 square feet. This means sterile processing will take place in one location, rather than multiple locations, said Megan Johns, manager of perioperative services.

“All new sterile processing equipment means more sterilization can happen in the same amount of time, because the new equipment sterilizes medical equipment and instrumentation more quickly,” Johns said. 

The entire perioperative and sterile processing staff has been displaced at one time or another, Johns said. Despite these challenges, their work saw little disruption.

“The staff has been amazing to work around the construction and keep everything running smoothly,” said Josh Gant, director of ancillary and support services. “With this $4.6 million investment in the hospital and community, we will meet or exceed standards for patient care and see the best patient outcomes.”