Inside Duke Medicine
DRAH Neurosciences Unit expands to second floor
posted December 15th, 2010
Dr. Paul Peterson, Mary Graff, Tenille Rauls, Dr. Peter Grossi and Rick Gannotta cut the ribbon during the open house for DRAH's Neuroscience Unit held on December 14, 2010.
Duke Raleigh Hospital recently held an open house to celebrate its latest addition to the hospital -- a new nine-bed Neuroscience Unit on the second floor. Neuroscience staff on the new unit will provide expanded, specialized care for neurology and neurosurgery patients.
Patients on the unit will receive around-the-clock care from nurses, who are trained to care for neurological and neurosurgical patients. The intensivist service will provide assistance and support to the neurosurgeons and neurologists in the care of these patients. The nurse to patient ratio of 1:3 will allow patients with increased acuity to be admitted to the unit, which should free up ICU beds. The planned addition of a third Cath Lab with Bi-Plane for treatment of complex aneurysm also enhances the level of service that DRAH can provide to patients.
“Our goal is to be the principal provider of innovative, compassionate and comprehensive neurological and neurosurgical care in Wake County, and the new unit brings us one step closer to achieving this vision,” said Mary Graff, MSN, NEA-BC, ACNO, director of neurosciences at DRAH.
“Neuroscience services at DRAH have been growing steadily over the past several years, with the addition of five neurosurgeons and four neurologists on the campus,” added Graff. In the first two months of the fiscal year for 2011, the hospital experienced a 44 percent increase in hospitalized neuroscience patients compared to the fiscal year for 2010.
The unit will also support the future application to the Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Certification.
Duke Raleigh Hospital’s neurosciences department has consistently maintained a high level of service. According to Press Ganey, neurosurgeons operating at Duke Raleigh Hospital have extremely high patient satisfaction scores at 99 percent.
Monette Mabolo, RN, MSN, is the nurse manager for the new unit.