Brigham & Women’s
expands with opening of new cardiovascular center

While it might seem a little early in 2007 to start looking to 2008, the turn of the calendar will mark an important year for Brigham & Women’s Hospital.

The hospital will open its new Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center next year, heralding an increase in opportunities for nurses, both at BWH and within the community. The 136-bed cardiovascular center will be among the most advanced of its kind, keeping BWH at the forefront of innovative care.

Representing a new model of patient care, the center will integrate all aspects of cardiovascular health under one roof. Patients will receive the nation’s most advanced and informed care from a team of medical experts devoted to providing the highest level of comprehensive cardiovascular care.

“Together, we’ll determine what’s the best procedure for each individual patient and who the best person is to perform that procedure,” says Kenneth Baughman, M.D., director of the BWH Advanced Heart Disease Program.

The $220 million, 350,000-square-foot building, which will connect to affiliated facilities via a tunnel beneath the city streets, will house 12 new operating rooms and 136 in-patient beds in universal rooms, which can convert from an intensive care environment to a conventional inpatient level of care. A bridge crossing Francis Street connects the center to BWH’s 1.5 million-square-foot main campus.

Just as much thought went into the center’s interior. The rooms were designed with direct input from the nursing staff, obtained through brainstorming sessions held in a mock-up of a patient room, on details ranging from the position of beds to the placement of trash cans.

All patient rooms in the new building will be private and will offer accommodations for family members. Each room will be about 350 square-feet — approximately double the size of the rooms in the cardiac intensive care unit. In addition, a small nursing station will be attached to each room, with windows to allow nurses to see patients and let natural light penetrate interior hallways. Of the 136 beds in the new center, 24 will be in a luxury pavilion.

To reduce the facility’s environmental impact, BWH has committed to constructing a “green” building that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines—an important development, according to BWH Vice President for Support Services Arthur Mombourquette, because hospitals usually struggle to meet the guidelines due to strict patient care requirements and tremendous energy needs.

“Unlike office buildings, hospitals are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” said Mombourquette, who was involved in the building’s design. BWH will likely be the first hospital in New England to receive LEED certification, he added.

Those interested in learning more details about the center’s services can visit www.brighamandwomens.org/cvcenter.

To learn more about the nursing team at Brigham & Women’s Nursing, including what it takes to join, visit www.brighamandwomens.org/nursing, call 617-954-9600 or e-mail bwhnursingcareers@partners.org.