Photo courtesy of Southcoast Health

Completed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Luke’s Hospital’s new $14 million intensive care unit incorporates the latest health care designs including universal private rooms and a video monitoring system to support patient-nurse communication.

Designed by Lavallee Brensinger Architects, the project expanded and renovated vacant space on the fourth floor of the New Bedford hospital to add 16 ICU beds, doubling the hospital’s capacity. The space will eventually be repurposed for medical and surgical patients.

Construction manager Shawmut Design and Construction accelerated the completion date by a month to accommodate the expected surge in patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new ICU features images of the region by local artist and includes a dedicated conference room for meetings between physicians and families.

“The fact that this investment in our community could be up and running at such a crucial time is a remarkable achievement on the part of our staff and a testament to the trades who stayed on the job to see the project through ahead of schedule,” Keith Hovan, president and CEO of Southcoast Health, said in a statement.