Precision Care: Orthopedic Surgical Environment Gets “White Glove” Flooring Installation and Long-Term Solution

St. Mary’s Medical Center is a 371-bed hospital in the Philadelphia suburb of Langhorne, Pennsylvania that provides advanced care for cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, and emergency/trauma services. It is known for being one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for orthopedic surgery and joint replacement, and has been recognized to have among the best cancer programs in the United States.

When St. Mary’s was faced with failing floors in its surgical suites, administrators initially had concerns about a lengthy shutdown period and the disruption installation procedures would cause in their highly active and sensitive environment. Stonhard offered a high-performance, seamless, long-lasting flooring solution with a multi-phased installation method to meet the hospital’s requirements and special circumstances.

Healthcare facilities like St. Mary’s are demanding environments that face high traffic, impact from surgical instruments, abrasion from heavy equipment, and stains and wear from harsh chemicals and rigorous cleaning. When traditional sheet flooring products are installed, they often do not have the necessary physical characteristics to endure these unforgiving conditions over time.

Though sheet goods may appear seamless, they are not truly weldless and cannot match the level of durability and protection that a quality, expertly-installed, poured-in-place flooring system is able to provide. Over time they will become damaged and begin to fail.

When Stonhard was contracted to replace the floors in five of St. Mary’s orthopedic surgical suites, the floors had already undergone numerous patching repairs over several years. The patches left the floors looking like quilts of varying colors, rather than the smooth, professional space they desired. The patching repairs also made moving surgical equipment across the floor problematic.

In order to ensure the floor would last without the need for repairs, St. Mary’s chose Stonhard’s Stonres RTZ, a urethane  mortar system that is preferred for operating rooms for its ergonomic, resilient, noise-reducing and stain-resistant properties. Like all Stonhard resinous flooring systems, Stonres RTZ has no welds, seams, or joints. This prevents bacteria from finding places to harbor and grow. The seamless design makes Stonres RTZ not only easy to clean and maintain, but delivers the added benefit of supporting infection control programs. Additionally, Stonres RTZ is a high-performance system that provides protection from falling surgical instruments and heavy traffic from equipment and personnel.

To accommodate St. Mary’s busy and sensitive surgical environment, Stonhard worked closely with administrators to develop a detailed schedule, installing floors one surgical suite at a time, which allowed surgeons to continue to use the other operating rooms. Stonhard’s “white-glove installation” included special care to keep sound and vibration to a minimum and proper ventilation to control odor. Stonhard’s expert installation crew handled operations for the hospital with precision care. 

Today, St. Mary’s continues to provide award-winning orthopedic care in operating rooms that are smooth and easy to keep clean, stain-free, and sterile. Surgeons and patients enjoy the benefit of Stonres RTZ resiliency which means comfort underfoot and noise reduction.

Want to print this project profile? Click here!