Phoenixville Hospital - South Tower

An unexpected and urgent last minute change in my schedule meant arriving very late to the reception and tour of Phoenixville Hospital's newly completed emergency room and South Tower on Tuesday evening.

Sandy Crabtree, Clinical Nurse Manager and Director of Emergency Services, noticing my late arrival, graciously volunteered to conduct a tour through the facility later in the week.

As many residents know, the hospital's new medical office building was completed earlier this year, and the addition of a multi-level parking garage provides much needed relief from the patient and visitor parking woes which besieged the hospital for many years.

Completing the expansion which began in 2007, I learned from Sandy that the new South Tower houses a second floor medical, surgical, and telemetry unit.

The ICU, or intensive care unit with 24 private rooms, is located on the third floor, while telemetry and progressive care is on the fourth floor.

However, the area I most anticipated was the first floor of the patient tower, home to the new emergency unit. I've been both a visitor and a patient to the old emergency room so often I can probably suture myself and find the bandages without any help.

Seriously though, until we need the services, we don't think about the fact that day after day, incredible and wonderful work quietly happens within the brick walls of Phoenixville Hospital. There are many untold miracles, too. I will take this opportunity to publically acknowledge and share mine.

I’ve known Sandy Crabtree for many years and was always aware of her outstanding reputation as a nurse. I was excited to learn her accomplishments resulted in her new position.

What many people do not know is that I owe my life, in part, to Sandy’s knowledge, dedication, and skill in her profession. She is my perfect example of the quality of the nurses, doctors, and care received at Phoenixville Hospital.

Extremely ill a long time ago upon my arrival at the emergency room, it was Sandy who first triaged me, and within minutes quickly and expertly identified my illness as a communicable and serious form of meningitis.

The immediate treatment I received in the emergency room and during my long stay in ICU under the care of my doctors and the wonderful nurses at Phoenixville Hospital resulted in a complete return to health.

Sandy will always have my deepest affection and respect.

Thank you, Sandy.

Back to the tour!

If an emergency unit could be called beautiful, Phoenixville Hospital’s definitely is.

The entrance doors open to a large, expansive area with an extra-large waiting room on the right. Filled with comfortable chairs, a children’s area with a small table, and several televisions mounted on the walls the amenties are welcoming. The walls throughout the unit are painted in soft, calming shades, the high ceilings add to the spaciousness, and the wide halls display attractive artwork.

Once behind the double doors to the interior, the nurse’s station fills the center left. 24 rooms circle the entire first floor of the new South Tower, which is more than 16,000 square feet, and triple the size of the former emergency department.

Each of the patient rooms are private, allow for bedside triage and registration, and are completed with computers and state-of-the-art medical equipment.

Several negative pressure rooms have been designed for those patients with contagious illness.

Sandy informed me of the new service, Fast Track, which will treat minor injuries, speed up medical treatment, and result in less waiting time for the patient. (Even though I don't plan to have any more of my minor "accidents" this service thrills me!)

Outpatient registration, outpatient lab, pre-admission testing, a heart station, and a cardiac/pulmonary rehab is also located on the first floor.

Once the wall is removed from the location of the former emergency room, visitors to the hospital will entertain a view from the front lobby of the hospital back to the emergency department.

The final approval for the helicopter pad, located on top of the tower, should be received in a few weeks and life-saving flights from the pad operational shortly thereafter.

An additional benefit to the Phoenixville area is provided by the hospital to the local ambulance services. New wireless EKG transmission equipment will allow emergency medical technicians to relay vital cardiac information to the emergency unit before the patient even arrives at the hospital.

Brian Torrence, Director of Public Relations joined Sandy and me towards the end of my tour. I commented on the pleasant and comfortable atmosphere in the South Tower.

“We have been very careful and thorough in designing the South Tower and new emergency department.", Brian said.

"We placed the needs of the patients and visitors at the forefront of our work, and we are dedicated to providing the best medical care in the best facility because we are Phoenixville’s community hospital!”

It definitely shows!

Congratulations to everyone at Phoenixville Hospital!




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