Truman VA, Chamber Ambassadors Celebrate New Patient Care Unit

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital staff, along with members of the City of Columbia Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, celebrated the completion of the medical center’s new Progressive Care Unit today, June 7, 2021, with a ribbon-cutting event and internal open house.

“This ceremony marks the first time in more than a year that we’ve held an indoor event that also included community members,” said Patricia Hall, PhD, FACHE, Truman VA medical center director. “It feels great to return to this kind of engagement. Although we’re not 100 percent there yet, this is a solid start!”

Truman VA’s new Progressive Care Unit (PCU), formerly known as the Step-Down Unit, will open for patient care tomorrow, June 8. The new modern facility was moved from the fourth to the third floor and expanded to include private patient pods, similar to an ICU. The new facility also represents an increase in beds ― from 10 to 14, as well as floor space ― from approximately 5,000 to almost 13,000 square feet.

Progressive care units are sometimes referred to as step-down units, intermediate care units or transitional care units. Progressive care nurses are skilled at monitoring and assessing acutely ill patients. These patients often require multiple medications and are at an increased risk for complications.

“I’m very proud of the fact that we were able to create this outstanding facility during a global pandemic,” Hall said. “It goes without saying that we’ve been extremely busy and focused on caring for our Veterans during a worldwide health crisis that none of us have ever experienced before. Yet, we still were able to turn this concept of developing such a modern facility into a reality.”