11 August 2018
Media Release
Embargoed till 11 Aug 2018, 12pm
SENGKANG GENERAL AND COMMUNITY HOSPITALS OPEN THEIR DOORS TO SERVE THE NORTHEAST COMMUNITY
Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) will open progressively from 18 August 2018, and Sengkang Community Hospital (SKCH) from 28 August 2018. The SKH Campus will offer a comprehensive suite of specialist care, inpatient and rehabilitation services, as well as Accident & Emergency services. Its opening will enhance access to healthcare services, particularly for those staying in the Northeast region of Singapore.
When fully opened, the SKH Campus will expand the national healthcare capacity by a total of 1,400 beds. The integration of SKH (1,000 beds) and SKCH (400 beds) within a single campus allows patients to look forward to a ‘one care plan, one patient experience’, with seamless transition of care from initial diagnosis and treatment, to rehabilitative care.
“We have been building up over the last 6 years to get our entire healthcare team, the infrastructure and facilities ready to be a hospital for the community. Our priority and focus are to ensure that the hospital opens smoothly and safely for our patients and that they receive the appropriate care and treatment at the right time. Beyond taking care of their medical needs, everything we do is also aimed at motivating future generations to be healthier, better equipped to manage their health, and hopefully reduce the need for hospital visits,” said Prof Christopher Cheng, SKH’s Chief Executive Officer.
One Care Plan, One Patient Experience
Patients who are admitted into SKH will be treated holistically, with a focus on acute medical care to treat and stabilise their conditions. Patients will benefit from having a primary doctor to oversee and coordinate their care throughout their hospitalisation stay and follow-up visits. Having coordinated care helps minimise the duplication of treatments, procedures and multiple appointments, delivers patient-centric care and promotes better health outcomes (refer to Annex A for more information on SKH).
Patients who require continuing care to support their transition back home and into the community will be transferred to SKCH which provides medical, nursing and rehabilitation care with a focus to help patients regain certain levels of physical functions so that they can return
Embargoed till 11 Aug 2018, 12pm home to their daily activities as much as possible (refer to Annex B for more information on SKCH).
“We have designed the environment to be as close to home as possible, simulating living spaces at home and encouraging patients to be mobile and active. Apart from hardware, heartware is equally important. Our multi-disciplinary teams understand that our patients want to resume activities that they enjoy and return home as soon as possible. Hence, we plan the care journey together with our patients in helping them achieve goals to transit smoothly back to their homes and the community. We will also be partnering community partners to ensure that our patients’ health is well managed even after discharge,” said Ms Margaret Lee, SCH’s Chief Executive Officer.
Both teams will collaborate, share information and co-design the care plan so that patients can get a head start in the healing process, beginning their rehabilitation early while they are still receiving inpatient medical treatment.
SKH and SKCH also work with community partners to ensure that patients are well taken care of even after they leave the hospitals, to empower patients to take greater ownership of their personal health, to stay healthy and happy within the community.
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For media queries, please contact:
Sengkang General Hospital SingHealth Community Hospitals Farah Rahman Cheryl Lim Executive Executive Communications & Patient Experience Communications & Community Relations DID: 6930 4475, HP: 9686 7159 HP: 8118 3098 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Embargoed till 11 Aug 2018, 12pm
Annex A SENGKANG GENERAL HOSPITAL
Bringing specialised care closer to residents Offering a comprehensive range of specialised care services and co-located with a community hospital, Sengkang General Hospital will deliver team-based and patient-centric care covering all major healthcare disciplines. Residents can access these specialty care services closer to home with SKH’s collaboration with the National Cancer Centre Singapore, National Dental Centre Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore National Eye Centre, National Neuroscience Institute and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Harnessing community support for better collaborative care Community engagement, preventive health outreach efforts and educational forums to encourage healthier lifestyles underscore the hospital’s mission of “Better Health Together”. Prior to the hospital’s opening, the healthcare team has steadily built and grown its partnership with general practitioners (GP), other healthcare partners and community-based organisations on its model of collaborative medical care. The hospital has been working closely with a network of GPs (SingHealth Regional Primary Care Network) on health screenings for better management of stable chronic illnesses for early detection and intervention in the community. The hospital’s team of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals have been giving health talks in community centres, schools and nearby places of worship on the importance of preventive care and management of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension as well as frailty and dementia.
Enhancing patient experience with technology Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology will be extensively adopted at the general hospital to improve patient safety and optimise hospital processes. Patients will be issued with an RFID wrist tag enabling the care team to monitor patients’ locations in real time for more timely patient care. The hospital is also deploying the Real-Time Locating System (RTLS) for increased patient and staff safety, as well as infection control. RTLS will also enable faster reporting during emergency situations, with improved accuracy based on tracked movement routes.
The increased use of automation in logistics planning at SKH will enhance patient care and safety and improve operational efficiencies. These include the automated pharmacy dispensing system which ensures the correct dosage of medication is dispensed. To reduce manual linen tracking for better patient management, the hospital has also introduced the Electronic Linen Tracking System (ELTS).
A smart Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) provides a hassle-free experience for patients, their next- of-kin and visitors by helping them to locate their vehicles easily. The system provides the car’s exact parked location, and the easiest route to the car via touch-enabled kiosks.
Embargoed till 11 Aug 2018, 12pm
List of Clinical Specialities & Allied Health Services Clinical Specialties Allied Health . Anaesthesiology . Audiology . Cardiology - NHCS . Clinical Measurement Centre (Neurological, . Dentistry Vascular and Lung Function Studies) . Emergency Medicine . Dietetics . Family Medicine . Medical Social Services . General Medicine . Occupational Therapy . Dermatology . Pharmacy . Endocrinology . Physiotherapy . Gastroenterology & Hepatology . Podiatry . Geriatric Medicine . Psychology . Haematology . Respiratory Therapy . Infectious Disease . Speech Therapy . Internal Medicine . Palliative Medicine . Rehabilitation Medicine . Renal Medicine . Respiratory Medicine . Rheumatology . General Surgery - Breast - Colorectal - Head & Neck - Hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) - Upper Gastrointestinal & Bariatric - Vascular and Endovascular . Intensive Care Medicine . Neuroscience - NNI . Obstetrics and Gynecology - KKH . Oncology - NCCS . Ophthalmology – SNEC . Orthopaedics . Otolaryngology (ENT) . Paediatrics - KKH . Pain Management - Acupuncture . Pathology . Plastics, Reconstructive and Aesthetics . Psychiatry . Radiology . Urology
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Annex B
SENGKANG COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
Opening in phases from 28 Aug 2018, Sengkang Community Hospital (SKCH) is a 400-bed Community Hospital that will serve the northeast community in partnership with the Sengkang General Hospital (SKH). Connected to SKH via a link bridge, patients who require post-acute rehabilitation and sub-acute care services will be transferred to the care of SKCH’s interdisciplinary team.
Care in the wards are focused on functional recovery, with a therapy room on every floor and small pockets of living spaces created in the wards to simulate a patient’s home environment.
SKCH is one of three community hospitals under the management of the newly formed SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH). Along with Bright Vision Hospital and the upcoming Outram Community Hospital, SCH is the nation’s only public cluster of community hospitals, and will provide more than 1,000 beds in the longer term.
Healing in a Homely Environment
With a focus on well-paced, personalised care in a homely setting, spaces in SKCH have been thoughtfully designed to simulate actual living spaces and promote rehabilitation to encourage patients to get out of bed and move around as they normally would upon discharge.
A therapy room in almost every ward provides easy access for therapists who wish to conduct rehabilitative exercises for their patients. The close proximity of patients to the therapy room also encourages patients to take initiative in their recovery and influence one another towards an active lifestyle outside of the ward.
Communal spaces have also been purposefully created in different parts of the wards. Patients are encouraged to use these spaces, while wearing their own home clothes, for therapy, to have their meals together, or interact with their family and friends.
Patients at SKCH will also have access to a roof garden, where they can perform rehab exercises outdoors in a safe and supervised environment. In addition, to ensure a balanced recovery programme, there will be both physical and social activities organised for patients to complement their clinical rehab sessions.
Achieving health goals with patients
The approach taken by the SKCH care team extends beyond designing a physical space. Treating patients to be functionally fit, beyond their medical ailment, has led the team to pilot a person-
Embargoed till 11 Aug 2018, 12pm centred model of care in the wards. This model includes a revamped consultation method and gives patients more autonomy in their rehab process.
In the wards, a team of family physicians, therapists and social workers will see ambulant patients in a consultation room instead of at the bedside, to simulate a patient’s visit to the doctor on an appointment basis after returning home. This also gives the patient more privacy and time to have an in-depth discussion about their medical condition.
To help patients achieve meaningful health goals, they are highly encouraged to participate in the planning of their care journey. The SKCH care team will work closely with patients to better understand their individual needs and adapt their care plans accordingly through a Patient Journal, a pilot initiative that provides each patient with a handy booklet for them to shape their rehab journey and needs with the team. The journal allows patients to track their progress and jot down their concerns, and also provides useful information for their caregivers, general physician or community support network after their discharge.
Bridging Care to the Community
Patient care management does not stop with discharge from the hospitals. To ensure that there is a continuity of care for patients even after their stay at the Community Hospital, the team at SKCH will help to coordinate care for patients as they move out of the hospital through its Patient Service Centre (PSC).
The PSC serves as the care-information highway for the patient – establishing contact with the patient for financial counseling while they are at the acute hospital, and connecting them with community partners such as the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), home care services and social support services, to ensure they receive the support they need upon discharge.
Embargoed till 11 Aug 2018, 12pm
Annex C THE NEW SKH CAMPUS
The new campus houses nine ward blocks above the podium level, comprising SKH at Blocks 1 to 6 and SKCH at Blocks 7 to 9. Specialist clinics are located at the SKH Medical Centre, occupying eight floors.
Both hospitals are highly accessible by public transport, with the Sengkang MRT station and bus interchange approximately 300 metres or a 10-minute walk away. There are also sheltered pedestrian link bridges providing direct access to the hospitals from the Cheng Lim LRT and a nearby HDB block.
The entire hospital campus has been designed to create a conducive environment that supports a healing journey for patients. Spaces have been built to let in natural light and pockets of greenery incorporated to help patients relax and rehabilitate. A “Community Heart” located at a central area within the campus has an airy, open skylight that allows visitors and caregivers to unwind, socialise and engage in healthy living and wellness activities.
Map of SKH Campus Level 1
Embargoed till 11 Aug 2018, 12pm
FACTSHEET SENGKANG GENERAL HOSPITAL & SENGKANG COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
Located in the northeast heartland, the Sengkang General Hospital and Sengkang Community Hospital are conveniently located next to Cheng Lim LRT Site Location station and diagonally across from the Sengkang MRT station (300m/10- minute walk). It has easy access to amenities such as the bus interchange and retail complexes.
. General Hospital (GH) & Community Hospital (CH) . SKH Medical Centre (8 levels of specialist clinics) Massing . Emergency Department, operating theatres, clinical support services such as laboratories, rehabilitation, and radiology services
. Dedicated Emergency Department entrance for ambulances . Vehicle drop-off/pick-up points at SKH Medical Centre, General Hospital, and Community Hospital Entry . Pedestrian link bridge connecting the hospital (L2) to Cheng Lim LRT Points/Accessibility station . Pedestrian bridge connecting the hospital (L2) to HDB block 261A . Wheelchair-friendly ramps and counters, as well as wide corridors and doorways
1,400 beds
Total Beds General Hospital: 1,000 beds Community Hospital: 400 beds
Clinical Specialties & Refer Annex A Allied Health Services
. NCCS Oncology @ SKH . NHCS Cardiology @ SKH Specialty Centres . SNEC Eye Clinic @ SKH at SKH Medical . Paediatrics by KKH Centre . Obstetrics and Gynaecology by KKH . Dental by NDCS . Neuroscience by NNI
Embargoed till 11 Aug 2018, 12pm
. Major Operating Theatres . Day Surgery Operating Theatres . Endoscopy Suites Medical Facilities . Specialist Consultation Rooms . Interventional Cardiology Suites . Interventional Radiology Suites
. Outpatient Rehabilitation Centre . Inpatient Rehabilitation Centre Allied Health Facilities . Clinical Measurement Centre . Pharmacies
. Patient Service Centre (Community Hospital) - Business Office - Medical Social Services Patient Service - Office of Patient Experience Facilities - Community Support Partners (AICare Link, Community Library by NLB)
. Patient Relations Centre (General Hospital)
. Auditorium & Seminar Rooms . Caregivers Training Centre Training Facilities . Clinical Education Hub - Simulated ICU, HD, Operating Theatre, Ward and Consultation rooms - Medical Nursing & Allied Health Training
. Wellness Garden (rooftop) Community . Localised pocket gardens at other levels Space/Gardens . Focal gathering area (Community Heart)
. Koufu Food Court Other Amenities . Retail and F&B Facilities