Our Facility

The Griffin Hospital of today can be characterized as seeking wholeness, rather than fragmentation; creating its own future, rather than simply reacting to the environment and providing services in a way that anticipates and meets the highest expectations of those we serve. The physicians, staff and volunteers at Griffin Hospital are dedicated to rendering care which encompasses the mind, body and spirit and emphasizes prevention and wellness with a goal of providing leadership to improve the health of the community we serve.

For over a decade, Griffin Hospital has articulated its vision for the communities it serves - that residents live the happiest, healthiest lives possible.

Today, the foundation from which that vision springs has unfolded. The completion of the North Wing and hospital-wide implementation of a patient driven care model sets the stage for Griffin to better respond to the needs and expectations of its patients and this community.   Cornerstone of the project is a community-wide Health Resource Center providing an array of medical and health information so patients and their families become better informed about their illness or disease and make informed decisions about the various options available to them. Community residents using the Resource Center can educate themselves on ways to improve and safeguard their health.

Griffin Hospital has long been recognized as a leader in developing and introducing innovative programs and outreach services designed to improve the health and quality of life for its patients and community residents.The culmination of its Facilities Improvement Project provides the facilities, technology and medical expertise for Griffin to maintain its dominant role in the community and beyond. Since 1984, Griffin has sought to strategically position itself to be the health care provider of choice of residents throughout our primary and secondary markets and beyond. The move began when a corporate reorganization in 1984 established Griffin Health Services Corporation as parent to several subsidiary companies -- Griffin Hospital, Griffin Hospital Development Fund and G.H. Ventures.

In 1987, the Childbirth Center at Griffin Hospital opened renewing Griffin's status as innovator in the health care field. The Childbirth Center drew interest, setting a new standard in the way obstetrical care was delivered. Its premise is patient choice, convenience and comfort regarding facilities, medical options and services. During that same year, a Patient Room Service Program, staffed by hospital volunteers and modeled after hotel room service, was conceived at Griffin and introduced as a means of more systematically providing for the personalized and individual needs of Griffin patients and their families. The new service, which was quickly patterned by other health care establishments, grew in popularity while lessening patient reliance on nursing staff and enhancing levels of patient and staff satisfaction throughout the organization. Griffin continued on this successful path bringing forth a variety of other programs and services designed to meet the needs of the whole person -- body, mind and spirit.

In 1989, renovations to the East Wing had begun, opening the door for development of a new nursing care model on the newly-split units, East A and B. Primary nursing was implemented in 1990, precursor to the new nursing model. During this period, Griffin had begun exploring a relationship with the successful Planetree Model Hospital Project in San Francisco, noted for its pioneering effort to change the way patients experience hospitals.

Today, Griffin stands as a leader for innovation and change. The North Wing not only reflects a contemporary, environment designed to nurture and heal those within, but it also marks hospital-wide implementation of a unique, patient driven care model designed to inform and educate patients so they become more actively involved in their care.

Griffin Hospital is an affiliate of the nationally-recognized Planetree Program, a consumer health care organization dedicated to humanizing the health care experience.

Our dedication to improving the quality of life and health of our patients and our community is evident in the new North Wing and throughout the organization, in the many programs and services we offer. We have incorporated many of the Planetree concepts here...and continue to build on these concepts as we respond to consumer preference and need for additional services.

Architectural design of the North Wing contains a 14-bed critical care unit, 23-bed step down medical surgical unit and two medical/surgical units with a combined capacity of 46 beds, emphasizes a consumer-centered environment, with patient/family lounges on each unit. Nurses'  work stations are located close to the patient bedside and central work areas are barrier free and contain comfortable conference tables to accommodate interaction between physicians, nurses, patients and their families. Each unit has its own residential kitchen where family members can prepare meals for patients and dine together. Cooking demonstrations and nutrition education is provided by dietary professionals. Visiting hours are unrestricted, colors, lighting, carpeting, fabrics, furniture and paintings all have been selected to create a warm, nurturing and healing environment. The design strives to conceal institutional clutter and provide a bright, naturally lighted environment, with enhanced privacy and an array of amenities for patients as well as their family members and visitors.

The Critical Care Unit is the first to be built using patient and family centered concepts that go beyond aesthetics. Its unique design continues to protect the acutely ill patient while providing greatly needed amenities for the family. Visitors are allowed to access the patient room at any time other than when treatments are in progress.

The Childbirth Center - expanded to keep pace with demand - boasts four additional post partum rooms, larger quarters for its whirlpool bath for moms in labor and additional conference space for a comprehensive offering of programs for expectant and new parents, as well as grandparents and siblings. A new separate entrance, redecoration of existing rooms and expansion of staff and family spaces, make up the balance of the renovations.

The recently renovated Inpatient Psychiatric Unit has incorporated Planetree's healing environment which includes the elimination of barriers between patients a dn staff, the use of familiar furnishings and finishes to reduce anxiety, an emphasis on nature, natural light and the arts to lift the spirit, the creation of comfortable public spaces to encourage social interaction. The new unit offers private and semi-private rooms, a residential style kitchen, a lounge, and large salt water aquarium. Traditional therapeutic approaches that include individual and group therapy are enhanced with complementary services such as patient education, aroma therapy, arts and entertainment and journaling.

Griffin's efforts to provide for the residents it serves extends beyond the inner confines of the hospital - out into the community. Based on an ever-growing body of evidence that comprehensive lifestyle change can have a positive effect on heart disease, Griffin introduced a Heart Disease Reversal Program, designed to combat heart disease and other illnesses. Additionally, Griffin was an integral part of the efforts to successfully secure a Federal grant to fight substance abuse in the five Valley towns and served as catalyst for launching the State's first "Healthy Community Project". The Healthy Community Project, a consortium of 50 local social service agencies, including Griffin Hospital, provides a new model of collaborative leadership to identify and address community issues with a goal of making the community a better place in which to live, work, shop, raise families and have fun.