Officials announced Wednesday evening the opening of the latest addition to the University Health System.
The Transitional Care Center is a 40-bed long-term acute-care center with specially trained staff and the latest medical technology, Associate Chief of Operations Michelle Hereford said.
The facility provides services to patients who require more long-term care and additional time during the healing process, with an average stay of about 25 days, Hereford said.
"Extra time in a calm environment aids in the healing process," she said.
Patients with complex wounds and multiple medical conditions will be housed in the center, as well as those who are on ventilators. It also accommodates bariatric patients, employing beds able to hold patients who weigh up to 1,000 pounds.
Staff members are specially trained to care for long-term patients and include speech therapists, respiratory therapists and registered nurses, among other medical professionals.
Construction began in January 2009, and health professionals moved into the building in July 2010. The first patient was admitted Aug. 4.
Hereford said the center provides an important service to the community and the state of Virginia.
"We've created a facility that will deliver world-class care and medical expertise that the U.Va. Health Center is well known for," she said.
-compiled by Tyler DeBoard
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