AUGUSTA, Maine — The Alfond Center for Health, MaineGeneral’s new regional hospital, is set to open for patients next month. The project aims to better address the healthcare needs of the greater Kennebec Valley region. The $332-million project will replace the current Augusta and Seton facilities, to reduce cost and improve coordination of care.
The new 192-bed regional hospital will offer all single rooms. By providing all single rooms, the new hospital is expected to reduce patient room transfers, rates of infections and falls. The hospital will also include a new emergency department and a comprehensive outpatient facility, the Thayer Center for Health. Finally, the new hospital will also build on the concept of “healing enhanced by nature” previously employed by the Alfond Cancer Center for Health by providing natural light for the rooms and views of the hillsides.
The new hospital will also boast a decrease in the environmental impact of its construction and design, featuring highly efficient heating and cooling systems, the use of renewable energy sources and the gathering of building materials drawn from local sources. The design is projected to save up to $900,000 in annual operating costs, as well as 12 million gallons of water a year. The hospital is also expected to have a positive community impact, creating a number of new healthcare and non-healthcare related jobs, with a projected influx of 3,800 new employees.
The transition planning division of HTS, Inc. worked with MaineGeneral to facilitate the successful transition of operations to the Alfond Center’s new hospital earlier this year. With construction ending seven months ahead of schedule, the facility is scheduled to open Nov. 9.
