Western Baptist to add hybrid room in $12 million expansion

Western Baptist Hospital will begin construction in December on the next generation of innovation at the Baptist Heart Center, including a hybrid room for advanced medical care and expanded areas to provide more comfort and privacy for patients and their families.

Beginning with the addition of four surgical suites on the second floor of the heart center, the project will be completed over 28 months.

At a news conference today, the Western Baptist Hospital Foundation presented a gift of $400,000 toward the $12.3 million total cost. “A gift to our foundation laid the groundwork for the Baptist Heart Center five years ago,” said president and CEO Larry Barton, “so it is fitting today that generous donations help move us forward.”

Following completion of the new surgical suites in July 2012, eleven existing surgery suites will be renovated, and the new waiting room will be added. The final phase of the project will feature renovation of the outpatient surgery area on the first floor.

“This project has been on the drawing board since we built the heart center in 2007 with shell space for future development,” Barton said. “Surgeries have increased in the past year with the addition of new physicians, so it is time to expand our facilities to help us serve our patients better.”

The new surgical suites will adjoin the existing surgery department. While they will improve efficiencies and technology, the addition of a new family waiting room and renovation of outpatient surgery will improve the patient experience. “We are pleased to be able to offer more comfortable and private areas for people having inpatient and outpatient surgery, as well as for their families,” he said.

Brad Housman, M.D., president-elect of the medical staff, said the expansion will benefit patients and their families. “With additional space to accommodate increased volumes and case complexity, the surgery schedule will be more flexible and accessible,” he said. “Also, patients and their families will appreciate the comfortable waiting areas that help protect their privacy.”

The new operating rooms will include a 1,333-square-foot hybrid operating suite, the largest in the region, where two or more procedures can be performed during one surgery. It often will be used for heart cases, but it also can be used for other surgeries when it isn’t needed for hybrid procedures.

The hybrid room offers a unique blend of advanced surgical approaches with crisp, high-tech imaging services. It adds surgical capabilities to a traditional cardiovascular catheterization lab, enabling cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons to work side-by-side in the same room, at the same time, in the best interest of their patients.

“The surgical expansion’s addition of four operating rooms will allow greater flexibility with patient scheduling,” said cardiothoracic surgeon Keung Ung, M.D. “In addition, the new hybrid operating suite will allow multiple specialists to work together in bringing advanced techniques to this region. This will enhance the medical treatment available to all patients in our area.”

Minimally-invasive procedures performed in a hybrid room are expected to shorten procedure times, reduce hospital stays and infection risks, and promote faster recovery with fewer follow-up procedures.

Cardiologist J. Kenneth Ford, M.D., said the new technology will set the stage for leading-edge cardiovascular interventions, such as aortic valve replacement through a catheter, just approved Nov. 3 by the FDA. “This state-of-the-art lab brings together the equipment and technology to do these newly developing procedures,” he said. “While at the same time, the older standard procedures, such as implantation of a pacemaker or coronary bypass surgery, can be done without having to transfer the patient to a second operating room. We are very strong believers that this type of multidisciplinary approach is the way the world is going.”

Other new operating rooms include two for open-heart procedures and one for the existing da Vinci robot, the only one in western Kentucky. It is used for hysterectomies, as well as prostate/kidney and throat cancer surgeries.

The $20 million 79,000 square-foot Baptist Heart Center opened in June 2007. It remains the largest and most comprehensive heart center in Kentucky, west of Louisville, with four cardiac cath labs, echocardiology, nuclear cardiology, stress testing, cardiac rehabilitation and an auditorium for educational events. A rooftop heliport allows distant patients to be transported quickly to the Chest Pain Center for life-saving intervention.

A $4 million gift from the Martha Atwell McBane estate and a $500,000 gift from the Carson-Myre Charitable Foundation, along with other donations from more than 60 businesses and individuals, are recognized in the heart center lobby.

Don Walker, foundation chair, said the continued generosity of foundation donors -- including Western Baptist employees, businesses, individuals, golf tournament and other event sponsors -- made today’s gift possible. “We are grateful to those who support our mission to help the hospital meet the healthcare needs of our region,” he said.

Western Baptist Hospital of Paducah is a regional medical and referral center, serving about 200,000 patients a year from four states. With more than 1,700 employees and 240 physicians, it offers a full range of services, including cardiac and cancer care, diagnostic imaging, women’s and children’s services, surgery, emergency treatment, rehabilitation and more. It is part of Baptist Healthcare System, one of the largest not-for-profit healthcare systems in Kentucky. For information, see westernbaptist.com.