Work on ER tower at hospital under way

The largest hospital in Southeast King County has been undergoing major surgery.

Valley Medical Center in Renton broke ground in September on the third phase of a $200 million expansion: a seven-story emergency-services tower that will be nearly 200,000 square feet, with the main floor roughly the size of a football field.

The birth-center improvements were the first phase and the lobby and surgical wing expansions were the second. The emergency-services tower is expected to be completed in 2009.

"We've focused our resources on new technology, emergency services, plus adult and newborn care because we recognize that we need to provide resources only hospitals can bring to a community," said Richard Roodman, hospital administrator and chief executive officer.

The expansion started with the birth center, which recently reopened with 36 private suites. Each suite has a whirlpool tub and panels that hide the medical equipment in the walls.

After asking mothers what they most wanted in a birth center, hospital administrators decided on private suites with a family atmosphere, said Paul Hayes, the Valley's chief operating officer.

About 10 babies a day are delivered at Valley Medical Center.

A neonatal intensive-care unit was also added.

The next phase involved the hospital's lobby and surgery center, which reopened after a year of construction.

The 20,000-square-foot lobby — which includes a 22-foot high atrium with nine pyramid skylights and a glass wall fountain to bring in natural light, water and shadow — provided a new entrance to the hospital.

On the third floor of the hospital, 10 new high-tech surgery suites have more than doubled the size of Valley's surgical wing. Seven more will be added in the next couple years.

Large computer screens line the walls of the surgery center and allow staff to track patients and their progress along with doctors' orders.

The parking area will also serve as a disaster-recovery facility with decontamination equipment and resuscitation room.

Valley is the oldest public district hospital in the state and the largest nonprofit hospital between Seattle and Tacoma.

Residents of the hospital district — which encompasses Newcastle, Renton, Kent, Covington, Northern Maple Valley, Auburn, Tukwila and a bit of Black Diamond — pay taxes to support the hospital.

DeAnn Rossetti is a Maple Valley freelance writer: archer34@aol.com