HELENA — St. Peter’s Health has completed a $9 million improvement on the surgical suite at the Regional Medical Center in Helena.
The two-year project expanded the hospital’s six operating rooms. The rooms were outfitted with upgraded imaging systems, a new continuous disinfection system, and improved airflow.
“The operating rooms are nice and big and bright and well-thought out in terms of the layout,” said Dr. Kerry Hale, an orthopedic surgeon and chair of St. Peter’s Health’s Department of Surgery. “I think patients will notice just a very clean, high-technology space.”
The project also included the 2019 installation of a Da Vinci Xi robotic surgery system, which allows surgeons to do less invasive procedures. More than 200 surgeries have already been completed using the system.
Leaders say the improvements mean doctors will have the tools they need to provide top-quality patient care.
“It’s gold standard,” Hale said. “It’s great that we have that here now in Helena.”
St. Peter’s leaders say COVID-19 didn’t significantly delay the surgical suite project — though some non-emergency surgeries had to be postponed to keep hospital beds available.
Hale said the work has already helped during the pandemic — for example, by allowing them to set up negative-pressure rooms to limit COVID spread.
