March 14, 2003

After years of planning, many reams of blue prints and months of busy construction, the MGH Charlestown HealthCare Center has completed the first phase of renovations that will transform the center into a new and improved facility for treating patients from Charlestown and its surrounding communities.

According to Peggy Carolan, executive director of MGH Charlestown, the first phase of construction was successfully completed last month. The improvements include the relocation of radiology services to the basement level with a new digital radiography suite that allows health center physicians to access MGH Radiology services online and view radiology images right from their computer station. Lab services were decentralized, allowing patients to have a private area for specimen collections. A centralized area for sterilizing medical instruments has created a better workflow for clinicians. And a new private patient bathroom within the Adult Medicine area has improved patient privacy.


Andrea Mongiello of MGH Charlestown and John Sheehan of MGH Radiology demonstrate the new radiography equipment.

"We've been getting lots of positive feedback from patients about the new renovations," says Carolan. "And our employees are thrilled seeing the first phase finally completed. We really appreciate our staff being flexible with the many disruptions in work that construction projects like this can create. Everyone has been flexible, and now we have a much improved work space."

Now the health center is entering into phase two of the construction project. This includes a centralized area on the first floor for Adult Medicine practice support staff, moving Police and Security to the first floor and the relocation of the Youth Care Program to another location to allow more space for health center services. The target date for construction completion is July of this year.