On the ninth floor of the VA hospital, workers are busy putting up walls. The redesigned open space ward will soon be divided into all private and semi-private rooms with separate bathrooms. The inpatient ward is where some terminal patients go to spend the rest of their lives.

Patients have been temporarily relocated to another floor during construction. Jason Petti is associate director for the medical center. He says when patients return, the reconstructed space will be much more conducive to their end of life care.

The ward will include open areas for family gathering and dining to encourage family support. And it will feel more comfortable for patients and their families. The sterile hospital look is being replaced with warm toned hard wood floors, cabinetry and beautiful granite counters. The fifth floor surgical ward also is being revamped with many of the same features.

The two wards will be completed by April. Work on two additional wards is planned to begin this summer.

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