Our commitment to outstanding healthcare is well known throughout the region. Making that care easily accessible to our patients is a vital part of that commitment. During the month of April, we will open our new outpatient surgery entrance, which also provides substantial surface parking and a new helipad on the campus of UnityPoint Health – Methodist.
Patients and their families will have just a short walk to our new atrium entrance, where elevators will take them directly to surgical check-in. The new entrance provides a canopied patient drop-off area where you’ll find one of our wonderful volunteers to assist you. It increases service function and efficiency and enhances the patient experience.
The new outpatient surgical entrance doesn’t just provide convenient access, it also helps ease congestion at the main lobby entrance. With less automobile traffic, patient drop-off and our valet service are more convenient, and the addition of surface parking opens up more spaces for patients and visitors in the parking deck across Hamilton, connected by our skywalk.
We’ve added approximately 200 ground-level parking spaces on the site of our former parking deck between Hamilton and Fayette streets, just east of Glen Oak Avenue. Adjacent to the entrance is a new helipad for critical emergencies and rapid patient transfer. A separate entrance and elevator will be used for patients helicoptered in and for patient transfers. In an emergency, time is critical; immediate access to surgery is crucial.
You’ll notice, too, a great new look to our building and campus, which is a downtown Peoria landmark. Landscaping will tie the project together and provide a warm, inviting environment. Projects like our new outpatient surgical entrance help enhance the experience of everyone who visits here. In addition, there is value in the softer appearance of the building. Pleasant healthcare environments impact the patient and visitor experience and help to lessen stress. Making the campus easier to navigate, parking less of a headache, and entrance to our buildings easier to access helps demonstrate our commitment to patients and the community.
While these are wonderful physical enhancements to our campus, they don’t overshadow what you’ll discover inside: the right care, at the right time, in the right setting, at the right cost, and the very best people, all working together in an environment that combines some absolutely amazing technology with genuine warmth and caring. iBi
