Center takes patients' care and comfort to heart

A building with heart:  That was the architect's objective in designing the $20 million, 79,000-square-foot Baptist Heart Center.

While offering a level of cardiac care unmatched in the region, the heart center was designed to be convenient and attractive for patients and their families. It is located adjacent to the hospital's Emergency department, where most cardiac emergencies are first diagnosed. And it is accented with works of heart--the 2007 American Quilter's Society Baptist Heart award-winning quilt hangs in its lobby.

The heart of the center is patients' health. Inside are procedure rooms for:

• Stress tests--While walking on a treadmill, the patient is monitored for blood pressure, heart rate and changes in electrocardiogram pattern. The test is used when patients have chest pain, unexplained fatigue or shortness of breath.

• EECP--For those who will no longer benefit from additional surgery or angioplasty, Baptist Heart Center offers Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP), a noninvasive procedure in which blood pressure cuffs are wrapped around a patient's calves and thighs. A pump rapidly inflates and deflates the cuffs with each heartbeat resulting in increased blood flow back to the heart. This promotes formation of collateral circulation or a "natural bypass."

• Nuclear medicine--Combines the treadmill portion of a stress test with computerized images of the heart. A small dosage isotope is injected into the body through an IV to trace images of the heart.

• Catheterization labs--Heart catheterization is the best way to see if coronary arteries are blocked. It also can be used for treatments, such as angioplasty or stents to open blocked arteries, or to define the anatomy of the heart before open-heart surgery. It involves inserting a long, thin tube (a catheter) into a blood vessel through the groin to the heart. Dye is injected to view arteries on X-ray monitors, while the patient is sedated, but conscious.

Cardiac rehabilitation

Bordered by 100 linear feet of curved glass windows visible from Kentucky Avenue, this 2,900-square foot rehab center offers recovering heart patients a "window on the world" while they exercise on equipment, including treadmills, stair-climbers and arm-exercisers. The nationally-certified program is staffed by six R.N.s trained in cardiac rehabilitation.

Auditorium

The nearly 3,000-square-foot auditiorium on the second floor provides meeting space for up to 200 people. It will be used for public and staff educational events.