As construction continues at a steady pace on the new Riverside Smithfield Hospital (RSH), multiple planning teams are now busy working behind the scenes to prepare for a targeted January 2026 opening.
Earlier this summer, RSH formed an Activation Steering Committee with nine different focus groups, each of which has begun meeting monthly. Designated group leaders then report progress and any issues or concerns to the larger committee on a monthly basis.
Those subgroups are: Process Development, New Facilities Operations, Department Activations, Equipment and Furniture, Information Technology and Telecommunications, Licensing and Regulatory, Physician Engagement, and Communications and Marketing.
“There are a lot of moving parts and pieces involved in ensuring complete operational readiness,” says Jessica Macalino, RSH President. “We’re very much in the thick of it, even though we’re still 1½ years from opening our doors to patients.”
The hospital has hired its first set of executive leaders to work alongside Macalino, including a Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and Facilities Director. That group will discuss strategic plans for recruiting and adding the next level of management in early 2025.
“From there, those new managers will continue to revise staffing plans for their respective departments,” Macalino says. “Our goal is to have all of our team member positions filled within 12 to 18 months of today.”
The Physician Engagement focus group, meanwhile, is looking at how many providers the hospital needs to cover all of its departments and shifts. That group also will develop recruitment and hiring strategies to bring in doctors and other medical professionals both from within the Riverside system and outside of it.
Phase I of equipment review has covered items that need to be fixed to the building’s physical structure, such as CT scanners and operating room lights. Those purchases have already begun, while ordering for Phase 2 equipment and devices – anything mobile – should begin by September after a detailed department-by-department study period.
IT infrastructure has been another focus area to date. Team members are evaluating technology needs by department, from computers and work stations to peripheral items such as printers and bar code scanners. Safety considerations include effective placement of badge control access points and security cameras.
RSH leaders expect to have a certificate of occupancy for the hospital building by August 2025, following required inspections and permit issuances. At that point, they will ramp up training and onboarding programs for new team members – based on exact floor layouts and workflow plans – as well as the purchasing and stocking of supplies.
The Activation Steering Committee and its subgroups have pulled in leaders from across Riverside to provide guidance and support, even if they may not ultimately be based at RSH.
“We want to be sure we have standardization of policies and processes across the health system,” Macalino notes. “Of course, we also will tailor everything to what fits for Smithfield in particular, so that we can give our patients and team members the best possible experiences.”
Stay up to date on progress by visiting riversideonline.com/rsh.