Aurora’s Provena Mercy shows off renovation project

Provena Mercy Medical Center has completed the first phase of a project to renovate its private patient rooms and on Tuesday gave visitors a sneak peek at the progress.

Officials said the hospital at 1325 N. Highland Ave., Aurora, is halfway toward converting its double-occupancy rooms into private ones that will provide more modern facilities, make the best use of space and improve patient comfort, privacy and safety.

The $11 million project, which will result in 90 renovated rooms with private bathrooms, flat screen TVs and access to wireless Internet, is scheduled for completion late next summer.

The new rooms will reduce interruptions and traffic to make it easier for patients to rest, officials said. They also will increase privacy for discussions with both family and physicians and allow patients to control the temperature, lighting and noise levels.

Officials said the renovations also are designed to increase the efficiency of the medical staff, from providing private space for physician charting to adding stations to bring nurses closer to their patients.

In addition, Provena Mercy is offering an educational video system that patients can access from their beds. The result of a grant from the Dunham Fund, the system allows patients to learn more about their condition, medical procedures and discharge instructions in both English and Spanish.

The hospital’s Foundation has raised $1.2 million for the project and employees have pledged $186,000.

Anyone interested in supporting the work may visit www.provena.org/mercy/foundation or call (630) 801-2662.