New Era Begins as Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center opens Heart & Vascular Institute

Our Lady of the Lake celebrates 90 years of service and opens new destination for heart care

BATON ROUGE, La., Nov. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new destination for heart care opened today in Baton Rouge as Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center announced the official opening of a 9-story Heart & Vascular Institute dedicated to changing the future of cardiovascular disease in Louisiana. Click here for a video about the Our Lady of the Lake Heart & Vascular Institute.

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The 800-bed medical center has marked another expansion achievement with the completion of the state-of-the-art building that is designed, staffed and equipped to be among the nation's premier centers for heart, vascular and critical care.

"Today is a transformative milestone in the history of Our Lady of the Lake as we mark the culmination of our long-time vision of improving cardiovascular disease. We're building on our recognized centers of excellence by providing comprehensive care for the southern U.S. region," said K. Scott Wester, president and chief executive officer of Our Lady of the Lake. "This is truly a new era for Our Lady of the Lake as we celebrate 90 years of service to Louisiana on this day and mark our commitment as leaders to redefining and advancing the field of heart and vascular care through treatment, research and education."

The design of the 330,000 square foot Heart & Vascular Institute is based on national best practices and encourages innovation with evidenced based models to provide the highest levels of patient quality and safety in a healing and comforting environment.

"Cardiovascular disease is a prominent problem threatening the lives of many and we are fully committed to making a difference in the field and improving outcomes," said John S. McClelland, MD, cardiologist and chair of Our Lady of the Lake Heart Advisory board. "The new Heart & Vascular Institute reflects the expansive breadth of top-rated cardiovascular services and specialty care available to the community, as well as the latest treatments and most advanced technology."

The Heart & Vascular Institute opened with 141 licensed beds with all-private patient rooms that offer sleeping accommodations for family members, including the intensive care rooms. Designed in partnership with physicians, nurses and other clinical team members, the new facility also features a universal patient floor, which is an evidenced-based care model that maintains the care continuum in one location so that patients stay in the same room throughout their healing process. Six operating suites and four catheterization labs offer the most sophisticated cardiac diagnostic imaging equipment and the latest technology for surgical and minimally invasive procedures. The addition brings the total to 41 operating suites within the medical center. 

With a healing garden, soaring windows, calming color palettes and a hand-picked collection of art work, the new building is designed to provide a welcoming and caring environment to advance the healing process.

"We believe our approach to care through innovation and education sets us apart," said Wester. "Through this evolution of our new Heart & Vascular Institute, we have not only expanded our cardiovascular services, technology and educational efforts, but we have also enhanced our culture of healing. patient-centered care is at its core."

For more information about the Heart & Vascular Institute, visit www.ololrmc.com/heart.

About Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
Our Lady of the Lake is a not-for-profit 800-bed medical center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with 6,500 employees committed to building a healthy community through excellence in patient care and education. A part of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, Our Lady of the Lake includes a Regional Medical Center, dedicated Children's Hospital, 300-provider Physician Group primary care network, and free-standing emergency room in Livingston Parish. Consistently awarded for compassionate care, clinical expertise, leading edge technology and innovation, Our Lady of the Lake has been named the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in Baton Rouge for 15 consecutive years and is ranked as a "Best Hospital" by U.S. News and World Report. Our Lady of the Lake is a primary teaching site for graduate medical education programs and is recognized in the areas of trauma and emergency care, stroke, heart and vascular, cancer care and minimally-invasive procedures and more. For more information, visit www.ololrmc.com.

SOURCE Our Lady of the Lake