UK HealthCare to Open New Inpatient Cardiovascular Unit

Today marks the unveiling of UK HealthCare's new Cardiovascular Inpatient Unit. The 64-bed inpatient unit, on the 8th floor of the Albert B. Chandler Hospital's new Pavilion A, is one of the largest cardiovascular intensive care units in the country. The unit will open to patients Dec. 7. The unit has many features for the safety and comfort of patients and staff, including: The CATwalkers program, which will continue the unit's longterm policy to ambulate every cardiac patient at least once a day, regardless of their diagnosis/treatment. A Central Monitoring Services station embedded on the floor. As part of the UK Arts in HealthCare program, equine-themed original art hangs throughout the two units, and large-scale photographs of Kentucky scenes are a feature in every patient room. An echocardiography suite is embedded on the floor, providing diagnostic services closer to the patient and minimizing patient transfers. According to Dr. Michael Karpf, UK executive vice president for health affairs, "It has long been our goal to be Kentucky's resource for highly complex quaternary care so that patients don't have to go out of state for the best treatments available. This new unit brings the highest level of cardiac care available anywhere on one floor, in an environment that's efficient for our staff and conducive to healing for our patients. "Combined with the Gill Affiliate Network partnerships, this means patients get the level of care they need as close to home as possible."