Sneak Peek At EMMC’s Penobscot Pavilion [VIDEO]

Eastern Maine Medical Center held a ribbon-cutting Tuesday for its brand new Penobscot Pavilion, and I got to go on a tour to view the impressive new wing!

It's taken two years for the beautiful new lobby, cardiac care unit, and Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit to reach fruition. During that time, hospital visitors have dealt with an alternate entrance and, often, a very long walk to their appointments or love ones' rooms. But once you see the new entrance and all the improvements, you'll know that it was all worth it.

The remodel of the old entrance and lobby is grand. A large granite fireplace greets visitors, with a sweeping, curved granite wall on the opposite side. In the center, comfortable chairs and sofas are nestled in between real trees that grow in the two-story room. The walls are covered in finished wood, for a natural, and very warm ambiance.

I toured a lovely new dining room, with bright green plastic chairs, and wooden tables made from the trees that were felled in order to build the new wing. A granite fireplace graces one wall, with comfy chairs nestled in front of it. And on the wall, a huge carved wood mural that details the history of Bangor.

But the most impressive part of the tour was the new patient rooms. In the new NICU, parents of infants needing Intensive Care will now be able to stay with their babies in private rooms! There are plenty of soft chairs for family members, and a couch along the windows that folds down into a bed. A small refrigerator will hold Mom's breast milk, so it's always nearby. And outside each room are two touch screens where doctors and nurses can call up all the family's details, including whether a gown and gloves are needed before entering. No more post-it notes on doors!

Down the hall from the NICU rooms is a family room, where Moms, Dads, and others can fix food in the kitchen, log onto computers to check email and inform family members of the baby's progress, and can even do some laundry.

Finally, I was taken to a private room in the Cardiac Care unit. These accommodations take technology to a whole new level. The patient can lie in bed with what looks like the usual white TV remote. But this one has extra buttons, including 'toilet' and 'pain,' so not only can the patient call a nurse, but they can let the nurse know what they need before he or she comes in. The remote also adjusts all lights in the room, and can raise or lower blinds on the window!

All in all, it's a stunning and highly efficient addition to Eastern Maine Medical Center. So glad I had a chance to look around! Patients will be allowed in the first of next week, and I know they'll be impressed!