Gov’t opens new hospital units, receives proposals for new Trauma Hospital
By THE STAR STAFF
Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced on Tuesday the opening of new surgery and renal service units at the Puerto Rico Medical Center, while the Medical Services Administration (ASEM by its acronym in Spanish) initiated the process to contract the design and construction of a new Trauma Hospital.
“When we speak of the Puerto Rico Medical Center, we are speaking of the place where many of the most complex cases arrive,” González Colón said at a press conference. “We are speaking of patients who need specialized care, of families going through difficult times, and of healthcare professionals who work every day under an enormous responsibility.”
As part of the improvements, the Adult University Hospital unveiled a General Surgery Unit spanning some 13,000 square feet, featuring 25 rooms -- 15 private and 10 semi-private. It also includes isolation rooms, a recreation area for patients with extended stays, and spaces for residents, interns and students.
The project required an investment of $5.39 million from the institution’s capital improvement funds and represents, according to information provided by the hospital, the first comprehensive renovation of a clinical unit at the Adult University Hospital in over 15 years.
Regarding the new Trauma Hospital, ASEM issued a request for proposals on Sept. 2 to develop the facility using an integrated design-build model. The process encompasses planning, design, permitting, procurement, construction, commissioning and operational readiness.
Proposals may be submitted until Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. A virtual pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for Sept. 24 at 10 a.m., while the opening of proposals is set for Dec. 1 at 2:30 p.m.
Another facility unveiled was the new Pediatric Renal Center unit at the Antonio Ortiz University Pediatric Hospital, which has been operational since Oct. 31, 2025. The center treats some 15 active patients: 11 via hemodialysis and four via peritoneal dialysis.
The renovation increased capacity from four to five hemodialysis stations, in addition to an isolation station. The infrastructure features a higher-capacity ultrapure water system and an 18,000-gallon cistern; hospital estimates indicate this would allow for approximately 14 treatments during an emergency or water service interruption.
The project cost $4.6 million, funded by the island Health Department, with an additional $665,100 contributed by the Pediatric Hospital Foundation for equipment, furnishings and interior outfitting.
A new Pediatric Surgery Unit was also completed, representing an investment of $5,839,505. It will accommodate 24 beds across 16 rooms and include negative-pressure spaces for patients requiring special infection control measures.
As a fifth initiative, the government announced plans to incorporate a 7D FLASH surgical navigation system into the Pediatric Hospital for complex spinal procedures. This technology generates a 3D reconstruction of the patient’s anatomy and enables real-time guidance of surgical instruments.
The system would be introduced through a loan-for-use agreement without a transfer of ownership, and permanent installation is contingent upon the signing of the agreement by all parties. The hospital already has physicians trained to use the system.
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