Governor Hogan and Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center Announce New ICU Inpatient Wing to Care for COVID-19 and Critical Patients

First Hospital In The Nation To Install STAAT Mod TM (Strategic, Temporary, Acuity-Adaptable Treatment) Modular Units

Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center today became the first hospital in the nation to install STAAT Mod TM (Strategic, Temporary, Acuity-Adaptable Treatment) modular units to care for COVID-19 and other critically ill patients.

These units, designed by HGA and prefabricated and assembled by The Boldt Company, arrived on site April 25, were assembled and connected to the hospital infrastructure, and are ready to receive their first COVID-19 patients this month.

In partnership with the Maryland Department of General Services, Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center sought ways to quickly provide additional ICU-bed capacity. This durable solution provides quality care to the surrounding community throughout the uncertain curve of infection.

“Maryland is proud that Fort Washington Medical Center is the first hospital in the country to receive this ICU-level of care unit,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “This newly constructed unit is another example of increasing hospital capacity for care of patients suffering from COVID-19 in Prince George’s County.”

Unlike other fabricated structures designed for lower acuity patients, the innovative STAAT Mod is highly engineered to hospital-quality environments. It is a critical care inpatient unit with Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms (AIIR) that provide increased safety for both patients and caregivers.

Twelve modules were installed adjacent to the hospital offering 16 private ICU rooms with isolation and adequate support space. The process to install these STAAT Mods took two weeks to complete. The installation required a large crane to lift the modules in place in very precise movements that must be rehearsed to ensure accuracy. Each module weighs about 25,000 pounds and there is only one chance to install it correctly. Once in place, utilities, connecting mods, medical gas supply hookups, electrical, building ramps, and roofing can be completed.

“COVID-19 is an unprecedented event and we are both grateful and proud to be able to bring the cutting-edge solution to our Fort Washington location,” said Terry Forde, President and CEO, Adventist HealthCare. “Being able to deploy an ICU-level facility and care in three weeks gives our team an opportunity to help even more people in our area who need care so urgently right now.”

The STAAT Mod has a 10-year useful life, durable enough to support a longer-term strategy. The space allows the medical center the ability to separate patient populations to safely return to elective procedures without sacrificing clinical quality, safety, efficiency, or the dignity of any patient.