Officials dedicate pavilion

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania officials expressed feelings of excitement and anticipation at the dedication of the Jonathon Evans Rhoads Pavilion, a landmark in patient care technology, yesterday afternoon. The $69 million pavilion, located at 36th Street and Hamilton Walk, will provide state-of-the-art health care services for in-patients and out-patients, according to HUP Executive Director Wilbur Pittinger. "We've given particular attention to the Hematology/Oncology inpatient unit where the whole floor is hepa-filtered," Pittinger said. "Hepa-filtering is an air filtration system where you take all the particulate matter out of the air." This system significantly reduces the chances of infection in patients whose immune responses have been weakened by procedures such as bone-marrow transplants, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Pittinger added. Computerized charting stations between each patient room will allow doctors and nurses to quickly access patient information, enter orders and obtain lab results on-line. Another unique feature of the pavilion is a 17-ton magnetic resonance imaging machine located in the basement. Pittinger said the device, one of only four in the world, will initially be used for research. "I think it is going to be one of the nicest health care facilities in the region," said Medical School dean William Kelley. "We are very proud of it." In addition to the advanced technology, a variety of amenities for the patients and their families will also be offered, according to Project Manager Marc-Antoine Lombardini. "As the level of care becomes more intense, the entire feeling of the hospital becomes so high-tech, so institutionalized, that we try to tone down that aspect," he said. The designers of the building attempted to create a warm atmosphere using wood furniture, hard wood floors and artwork one would not normally see in a hospital, Lombardini added. They also made the family waiting rooms more spacious. "It is a beautiful structure," Rhoads said."When Dean Kelley told me that it was proposed to name the building for me, I was of course thrilled." Rhoads is professor of surgery at the Medical Center and provost emeritus at the University. He joined the University faculty in 1939 and served as provost from 1956 to 1959. Among his many achievements, Rhoads pioneered the use of peritoneal dialysis in the treatment of liver failure. He also conducted a landmark study in 1966 that demonstrated the value of intravenous nutrition. "Penn honors Dr. Rhoads by dedicating this superb patient care facility in his name," Rodin said before the dedication. "But it is, in truth, Dr. Rhoads who has honored Penn again and again by dedicating his life and his life's work to this University." Rhoads is only the second member of the medical profession to have held the title of provost at the University. He has received more than two dozen major awards, including the Medallion of the Surgeon General of the United States and the American Medical Association's Sheen Award for Scientific Accomplishment. "We broke new ground for this building, so that we might continue to break new ground in American medicine," Rodin said. Almost all of the 100 people in attendance were equally enthusiastic. "I think it represents the standard of care for the 21st century in American medicine," said Assistant Professor of Neurology Eric Raps. If the building is ready, patients may move into the first four floors of the building as soon as tomorrow, Pittinger said.