New Fairfax Hospital wing to open in August 2012
The new 11-story South Patient Tower at Inova Fairfax Hospital is expected to be completed by August 2012—about six months behind schedule.
The building will house 174 all-private intensive care unit (ICU) medical/surgeon, neurosciences, and trauma rooms.
Construction on the $161 million project started in June 2010. Staffing projections for the new building have not yet been determined; Fairfax Inova currently has 7,000 employees.
According to an Inova spokesperson, the 216,000-square foot facility “will enable the hospital to meet future inpatient and outpatient needs and will allow for flexibility if there is a surge in patients during a disaster or pandemic event.”
The new tower will connect to the main hospital on all 11 levels. Trauma surgeons will have the tools and lighting to perform procedures at a patient’s bedside. Staff will be able to monitor patients from workstations outside their rooms.
The building incorporates “green” design features, including low-flow plumbing, environmentally friendly building materials and furniture, and a “living roof” with water cisterns and rain gardens.
A new women’s hospital at Fairfax Inova is expected to be completed in 2015.
