South Shore Hospital opens family-focused Intermediate Care Unit

South Weymouth, MA (September 11, 2018) - South Shore Hospital, part of South Shore Health System, has completed the second phase of a major construction project to enhance its Critical Care Program with the opening of a new, 24-bed Intermediate Care Unit.

The new unit will provide space for patients who are too ill for a general medical/surgical floor, yet do not need the intensive level of care found in the hospital’s Critical Care Unit (CCU). The new unit officially opened to patients on September 5 and is located in the Pratt 6 section of the hospital.

“The opening of the Intermediate Care Unit, along with the Aubut CCU, will help make it possible for our highly-skilled team of physicians, nurses and other caregivers to provide a level of care unavailable elsewhere in the region,” said Gene E. Green, MD, MBA, President and CEO of South Shore Health System. “We are transitioning to a Health System model where only the sickest of the sick should be seen in the hospital setting. We firmly believe having access to essential, critical care resources benefits the communities we serve in many ways.”

The completion of the Intermediate Care Unit wraps up the construction phase of a $62 million project that includes the state-of-the-art Richard and Joann Aubut Critical Care Unit, which opened in October of 2017. The project, funded in part from philanthropic support from the South Shore community, is the largest component of Mission Critical: The Campaign for Our 2^nd Century, which seeks to raise $70 million by the year 2022 in support of facilities, programs and other technology.

“The Aubut CCU allowed us to create a cutting-edge medical environment for patients, as well as family and staff. This next phase ensures patients have the opportunity to be cared for in an environment that is ‘just right,’” said Mark Hershey, MD, Chair of Critical Care Medicine at South Shore Health System.

A group of nurses, physicians, support staff and members of the Patient-Family Centered Care committee helped to design the rooms and create an atmosphere that promotes healing -- just as they did for the design of the Aubut CCU.

All 24 patient rooms are private and have windows that allow for natural sunlight. Each room has its own bathroom with a shower as well as a couch that converts to a bed – amenities that allow families to stay close to their loved ones during their recovery process.

“We wanted to make sure that patients have access to the best care, but also have access to their families in their time of need,” said Green. “It was important to us that these rooms were built with the patient in mind.”

About South Shore Health System

South Shore Health System is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, charitable organization that provides a broad range of health services to the 620,000 residents of Southeastern Massachusetts. South Shore Health System comprises South Shore Hospital, South Shore Medical Center, South Shore Visiting Nurse Association, Hospice of the South Shore, Health Provider Services Organization, South Shore NeuroSpine, South Shore Physician Hospital Organization, Physician Organization of the South Shore, and South Shore Health System Foundation. Please visit SouthShoreHealth.org for more information.