TROY — Upper Valley Medical Center has announced plans to reconfigure and update the hospital main lobby and registration areas to provide greater ease of access and way-finding for patients and visitors.

The new UVMC Patient Flow Project will include a 6,600-square-foot addition on the south side of the hospital to provide for relocation and expansion of the cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation program, as well as an employee wellness area.

“We’re very excited about the expansion of the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation unit at UVMC,” said William Czajka, M.D., cardiologist. “The hospital has an excellent program that has grown significantly through the years. The expansion is well deserved and will help make this important rehabilitation more readily available to our patients.”

Jennifer Clune, M.D., pulmonologist and critical care physician, noted how crucial these services and facilities are to patients.

“Rehab is incredibly important for patients’ quality of life and physical function,” she said. “Often it can be even more beneficial than medications.”

The employee wellness area adjacent to the cardiopulmonary rehab unit will include 1,235 square feet for exercise and wellness activities for hospital staff.

In the hospital’s main lobby, patient registration will be reconfigured to optimize customer experience and convenience, as will reception and waiting areas for cardiac diagnostics, medical imaging and lab. Restructuring of these areas will be designed to enhance patient flow and confidentiality, as well as improve staff efficiency.

The retail pharmacy and hospital gift shop will be moved closer to the front entrance, an easier location to access. The coffee bar also will be relocated to help lessen congestion and noise in the main lobby area.

First and second floor signage/way-finding will be enhanced as part of the project and waiting areas will be enhanced and refreshed to help provide a comfortable, healing environment for patients and visitors.

“We are extremely excited about launching this project,” said Tom Parker, UVMC president. “It will be designed to allow more ease of access, comfort and convenience for our customers as they enter the hospital, as well as greater efficiencies for our staff. We very much embrace this opportunity to enhance the patient experience at Upper Valley Medical Center.”

The UVMC Patient Flow Project will launch this summer and is projected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2020.