Hartford Hospital wants to add two operating rooms to its main campus to accommodate current and expected surgical volume, according to a Certificate of Need filed last month with the state Office of Health Care Access.
The cost of the project is estimated at $2.5 million. The hospital has begun initial work on the operating rooms, but would not complete them or bring them online until receiving state approval, according to Hartford HealthCare spokesman Shawn Mawhiney. The operating rooms could be completed by Aug. 31, the application says.
The hospital, which currently has 42 operating rooms, cites a 28 percent growth in surgical minutes since 2013 and says growth in surgical specialties, including orthopedic, cardiovascular and complex neurosurgical cases has created the need for more operating room space. It also notes a 53.2 percent increase in surgical transfers from Hartford HealthCare affiliate and nonaffiliate hospitals since 2013.
The hospital’s ORs are operating at about 77 percent capacity and with the projected surgical growth, “the hospital will not be be able to accommodate its current and projected surgical volumes,” the application says. “Operating room utilization that is greater than 80% is neither sustainable nor manageable.”
Without state approval for the operating rooms, the hospital will need to use more rooms later and on weekends, which is not cost-effective and not good for patients and their families, it said.
