UK HealthCare

Gill Heart Institute's New Inpatient Unit to Open in December

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 30, 2014) -- For now, the sounds on the 8th floor of Pavilion A are of drills, hammers, and animated conversations about ceiling height and lighting clearance.  But it won't be much longer before those sounds are replaced by the beeps of monitors and the voices of nurses offering advice and encouragement.

Preparations for the opening of UK HealthCare's Gill Heart Institute's new inpatient unit are at a fever pitch, with legions of construction workers coordinating with UK Facilities Planning staff to complete fit-out of UK Chandler Hospital's 8th floor before its scheduled opening in early December.

Once complete, the 64-bed inpatient unit will feature one of the largest cardiovascular intensive care units in the country putting some of the nation’s most advanced cardiac care in Kentuckians' backyards.

"Our physicians, our nurses, our staff, and UK Facilities Planning are constantly asking ourselves, 'How can this unit make our patients healthier and more comfortable?'" said Lacey Buckler, director of Cardiovascular Nursing Services. "Many of the unit's features came about because so many people contributed to the process."

The floor is "service-based," which means technology such as x-ray or dialysis comes to the patient's bedside minimizing the handoffs and transport which can be stressful for a patient and his or her family. An echocardiography and vascular laboratory suite will be housed within the unit so that physicians can get information and make care decisions quickly.

Because Gill nursing staff cares for patients who require advanced cardiac monitoring, a Central Monitoring Station (CMS) is embedded on the floor with staff trained specifically on the unit's equipment and protocols.

"That way, if there's an emergency with one patient while their nurse is providing care for another patient, the CMS nurse can pick up the phone and get that patient cared for immediately," Buckler said.

The cardiovascular floor in Pavilion A will be the first unit in Chandler Hospital to use new barcode technology for medication administration, streamlining delivery of prescribed medications to patients, minimizing medication errors and enhancing patient safety.

Another highlight of the floor will be a new, state-of-the art interactive patient television system that will be installed in every room.  The service will allow patients to access information about their illness and their care.

"Research has demonstrated over and over again that an informed patient is more involved in their care and more likely to stay healthy once they leave the hospital," said Buckler.  "In conjunction with face-to-face education by doctors, nurses, and other staff, using the television in patient rooms to deliver information about heart disease prevention and treatment provides another opportunity for patient 'buy-in' which is critical to a patient's long term health outcome."

Preparations are underway elsewhere in the hospital as well. Forty-four new nurses have been hired and are in intensive training for work in a cardiovascular ICU setting.  Thirty more were hired to complete staffing for the telemetry progressive areas and the central monitoring station.

By 2015, UK HealthCare's sickest cardiac patients will be settled in to receive the highest standard of care.

"We've always had excellent care, the best and most qualified nurses, and access to superior treatment for the most complex cases," Buckler said.  "But the 8th floor will take us into the stratosphere -- the best of the best.  It will be pretty, to be sure, but there's some real firepower underneath all the pretty finishes."