National building surge brings a new kind of hospital.

(From AP Worldstream)

Byline: LINDA A. JOHNSON

Greeters direct new arrivals at the elevators. Wireless telephone systems and Internet access are available. And every guest room is private, cheerful and with a fold-out chairbed.

Hospital or hotel?

It's a hospital, and the patient-comfort and high-tech features at the just-opened South Jersey Regional Medical Center in Vineland define the dramatically different design of 21st-century hospitals.

"We've used light, space (and) single rooms to really create a conducive environment to treating patients," said Chet Kaletkowski, chief executive officer of South Jersey Healthcare.

The system consolidated three older hospitals into a new one, located about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia, with specialized care areas such as surgery, cancer and heart treatment.

Many of the other hospitals …