Carson Tahoe Health unveils new Carson Tahoe Walkway connector
For the past 18 months Carson Tahoe Health has watched and anticipated the progress of its new connector bridge, designed to link the Regional Medical Center to Sierra Surgery, thus streamlining transfers between the two facilities and ultimately improving patient care.
On Wednesday morning, the Carson Tahoe internal community — including board members and staff — got a first hand look at what has been accomplished thus far as part of the new addition, named the Carson Tahoe Walkway, at its hospital medical campus at 1600 Medical Parkway.
The Carson Tahoe Walkway was started in 2019 and marked the beginning of several major renovations and expansions to the not-for-profit’s medical center campus since opening in 2005. According to Carson Tahoe spokeswoman Erin Meyering, because of the pandemic and long-lasting supply chain issues for construction materials, the walkway will be completed and officially opening in August or September, 2021.
The structure bridges across Eagle Valley Creek, and offers large windowed walls and spectacular views of the surrounding flora and fauna while providing patients, staff, and visitors convenient access between the two buildings, said Meyering. On average it takes around 2 minutes and 15 seconds to walk from the RMC to Sierra entrance.
The connector also houses Carson Tahoe’s expanded laboratory. At roughly 9,800 square feet, it allows the lab staff to receive approximately 2,100 orders per day and performs 3.1 million tests annually, said Meyering.
Once open and fully functional, the connector will offer a lower level for staff and transferring patients and an upper level for guests and visitors. Previously, patients who needed to be transferred from Sierra Surgery to the main Regional Medical Center, or vice versa, needed to be taken via MedTrans, an ambulance, or another medical patient-transport service.