CHI Franciscan, a healthcare system in Puget Sound, is enhancing its patient care by opening a new hospital in Silverdale.
Dozens of ambulances made their rounds back and fourth on Saturday between Bremerton and Silverdale to transport about 151 patients to the new hospital.
The new hospital in Silverdale is an expansion of St. Michael Medical Center in Bremerton. It will provide emergency, trauma, and surgical care as a Level III Trauma Center, serving patients across Kitsap County and the Olympic Peninsula.
The new Silverdale Emergency Services department is nearly 70% larger with improved trauma bays, enhanced triage capabilities, nuclear decontamination rooms, high-resolution imaging technology, and negative air pressure systems that help reduce the spread of infectious diseases.
David Schultz, president of the St. Michael Medical Center, said the planning process was a lengthy one.
"We’ve been planning for this for years, but certainly the drills and just going through the rotation of how we’re going to move patients has been occurring for several months now," said Schultz.
COVID-19 patients were also transported to the new hospital on Saturday.
"We’re taking all the precautions that would be expected so all the staff that are dealing with patients are in full PPE, the patients themselves are masked during the process. We’re also making sure that the rigs are thoroughly cleaned before they’re put back in service,” said Schultz.
Following the move, a reduced number of emergency department beds will remain at the Bremerton campus, until CHI Franciscan’s urgent care center opens in 2021.