Expanding Clinical Abilities with the New Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion

Author: John Thomas Mehigan, MD
Specialty: Vascular Surgery

The new Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion is opening this fall. In fact, at the time of writing this piece, inspectors are giving its final seals of approval and Washington Hospital teams are finalizing their move-in plans – myself included.

Beyond being a shiny, new building, it’s the expanded clinical abilities that I’m most excited about.

When our Hospital opened in 1958, it served a community of around 18,000. Today, that number is more than 350,000. While we’ve been able to keep up with that growth by expanding Washington Hospital Healthcare System, it’s the Facilities Master Plan that turned a vision into action and our new reality.

As Phase II of that Facilities Master Plan, the new 224,800 square-foot Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion gives us the space to expand emergency services and critical care that will save countless lives in the Tri-City area. As a physician, who is part of Washington Hospital, our mission is to meet the health care need of District Residents.

Here are some of the enhancements to expect in the new the Critical Care Pavilion:

• Expanded departments; several of which are presently undersized to meet our growing population’s needs
• A new emergency department that is approximately four times the size of the current one
• Forty-eight new critical care beds in five different pods
• Sixty-eight new medical/surgical beds, all private rooms
• Natural light, gardens and open spaces to promote healing
• Private rooms with ample space for friends and family to visit – even pull-out beds to allow for overnight stays
• Space to serve the District into the future

As someone who personally knew and respected Morris Hyman, I can’t think of a better way to honor his legacy than with this fantastic new facility. His work and passion left its mark on our community, and helped shape the vibrant, diverse, and growing community it is today. In the Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion, his commitment to our community lives on.

To learn more about the Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion, visit whhs.com or read my colleagues’ features on what it means for the patient experience and healthcare accessibility.

Posted October, 2018

About John Thomas Mehigan, MD

Dr. John Thomas Mehigan is a board-certified vascular surgeon specializing in minimally invasive interventional procedures. He was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and has lived in the San Francisco Bay area since 1967. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame and earned a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Science degrees at the University of Illinois. He completed an internship and residency in General Surgery and fellowships in Vascular Surgery and Tumor Immunology at the University of California in San Francisco, and the National Institutes of Health. Currently, Dr. Mehigan’s practice includes General Vascular Surgery, specializing in minimally invasive vascular procedures, vein surgery and wound healing. At Washington Hospital, he is currently chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery, Medical Director of the Vascular Center and attending surgeon at the Outpatient Wound Clinic. In addition, he is director of allied health services – development and oversight. Dr. Mehigan is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a distinguished Fellow of the Society for Vascular Surgery, and a founding member of the Western Vascular Society. Additionally, he is a Clinical Professor of Surgery at Stanford University Medical Center. Dr. Mehigan is the author of 50 peer-reviewed professional medical publications. Dr. Mehigan is board-certified in vascular surgery, recertified 2015 – 2025.