JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Today, Mayo Clinic in Florida introduced a five-floor patient tower expansion as part of Mayo Clinic's Bold. Forward. Unbound. investments to revolutionize the healthcare experience for patients and staff. The vertical growth of the tower will enable 166 new patient beds within medical/surgical nursing units, supported by new automation and patient care technology. These new offerings will further unite the physical and digital healthcare environments.

"Mayo Clinic continues to invest in growth and healthcare transformation, including a plan to more than double our space for patient care, biomedical research and education in Florida," says Kent Thielen, M.D., CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida. "The structures we are creating now will serve the patients of today and the patients we will care for over generations to come."  

The expansion's technology makes the rooms an extension of the care team. Patients can control every aspect of their room experience from an app on their phones. Emerging technology will monitor a sleeping patient's vital signs with fewer interruptions. Family members can drop in virtually from across the city or around the world to participate in patient care consults with Mayo experts.

For staff, the updated technology and spaces create an improved workflow and a more efficient clinical environment. This will allow them to spend more time focused on patient care and less time on administrative tasks. Added automation means that self-guided carts can deliver food and linens on command.

Other features include a top-floor indoor/outdoor lounge for staff and visitors who need respite, a breath of fresh air, nourishment, or the tranquility of coastal views.

"The expansion of our hospital is not just a new building, it is a bold reimagining and blueprint for the future of healthcare delivery, codesigned with the collective wisdom of those who live and breathe it," says Michael Maniaci, M.D., professor of medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. "By weaving together the insights of both our staff and our patients, we've created a space where innovation is not only imagined but also implemented, shaped by the very people it serves."

Throughout the planning and development process, Mayo Clinic staff input has been critical to expansion design. Staff representing different roles and functional areas joined to plan, pilot, evaluate and implement the innovative technologies that will solve unmet patient and staff needs. This collaborative approach demonstrates how Mayo Clinic continues to shape the future of healthcare.

Expansion highlights:

• Technology-enhanced patient, visitor and staff experience.
• Floor-to-ceiling windows that increase natural light by 80% in patient rooms. Studies show that natural light improves patients' moods and speeds healing. Many rooms will also offer scenic views of the coastal environment near Mayo Clinic.
• A modernized patient digital wall that engages patients with clinical information, education, communication, relaxation and entertainment.
• A digital entryway display that pulls real-time data from the electronic health record and delivers information to protect the patient as well as care team members and visitors who are entering the room.
• An ambient clinical intelligence-empowered camera that enables the consolidation of multiple sensors into a single platform, turning patient rooms into an integrated virtual care delivery hub.
• A pass-through drawer that allows staff to stock patient supplies from outside the room, with design considerations that will enable further automation.
• An updated headwall that allows the optimal placement of each clinical connection, increased access to outlets and additional med-gas and oxygen ports to improve patient care efficiency.

Mayo Clinic Hospital opened in April 2008 with six floors and 214 beds. In 2012, two additional floors and 90 beds were added. With the most recent five-floor expansion, the tower's capacity is 419 licensed beds. In addition to new patient rooms and a lounge, the expansion includes one floor for mechanical and electrical support and one floor for future growth.

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About Mayo Clinic 
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education, and research, and providing compassion, expertise, and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.  

Media contact: 

• Tia Ford, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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