Salisbury — TidalHealth today announces the creation of a new Intermediate Care Unit at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional through the merger of its Progressive Care Unit (PCU) and 3 Layfield critical care unit.
The consolidation aims to better coordinate critical care services and address long-standing space and geographic challenges within the Salisbury hospital. The transition will officially begin July 29 with units taking on different patient responsibilities to best prepare for the changeover. Care will not be impacted in any way.
Renovations for the new 28-bed Intermediate Care Unit, located on the third floor of the Layfield Tower, are underway and are expected to take roughly six months to complete.
Once officially opened, the unit will provide an optimized environment for higher acuity patients requiring intermediate levels of critical care, offering enhanced coordination across the TidalHealth system’s three hospitals in Salisbury, Berlin (Atlantic General Hospital), and Seaford (TidalHealth Nanticoke).
In conjunction with this upgrade, the space currently occupied by the PCU on 2 South will be transformed into a permanent 18-bed Observation Unit. This unit will serve patients who require hospital care for less than 24 hours, bridging a long-standing gap and providing a permanent space for patients with short-stay care needs.
During the renovation period, the Intermediate Care Unit will temporarily operate out of the current PCU space, while the Observation Unit will be based in 3 Layfield. Staff members from both units are undergoing training and cross-training to ensure a seamless transition and high-quality patient care throughout the process.
“These changes are part of a strategic effort to improve the quality and accessibility of care across our network,” said Angela Brittingham, DNP, MS, RN, CEN, CPEN, NEA-BC, CPHQ, Chief Nurse Executive & Vice President, Patient Care Services. “By consolidating our resources and redesigning our spaces, we’re not only improving workflow for our care teams, physicians and resident physicians, but also enhancing the experience and outcomes for our patients.”
When opened in July, the new Intermediate Care Unit will serve TidalHealth Peninsula Regional’s more critically ill patients while the new Observation Unit will focus its attention and care to lower acuity patients, including those requiring a shorter length of stay and/or diagnostic testing.
TidalHealth remains committed to evolving alongside the needs of the communities it serves and delivering care in the most efficient, patient-centered manner possible.
