St. Luke's Hospital breaks ground on new operating room, cardiac lab

4/9/2018
BY LAUREN LINDSTROM
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Officials on Monday celebrated a new expansion at St. Luke’s Hospital, an addition they say will keep patients closer to home with the latest technology in cardiac and surgical care. 

The $12.5 million project will result in a 8,500-square-foot hybrid operating room and electrophysiology lab on the Maumee hospital’s campus. It’s the first major construction at the hospital in more than a decade, said Dan Wakeman, St. Luke’s president and CEO.

“This addition to our heart center will offer the most advanced technology for both heart and vascular patients, as well as bring the highest level of neurosciences to this hospital,” he said. It is expected to open to patients in November.

The need to upgrade the hospital’s cardiac technology was clear when reviewing strategic plans, Mr. Wakeman said. 

On the first floor will be the heart and electrophysiology lab to treat heart arrhythmia disorders with treatments such as cardiac catheter procedures, as well as pacemaker and defibrillator implants.

“We saw as the population ages, we've had a lot of advancements to help the heart from having to have bypasses but ... as people age, their electrical systems of their hearts still need to be worked on,” said Keith Burmeister, vice president and chief relations officer. “We saw a need in our community to continue to help patients in this area.”

The second floor will house a hybrid surgical suite for craniotomy surgeries, endovascular procedures to prevent vessels from rupturing, and cardiac catheterizations.

Mr. Burmeister said the hybrid surgical suite — one that can be used for less invasive procedures and as a full-capacity operating room — means more can be done in a single location.

“It has all the most recent technology and imaging that you can find on the marketplace,” Mr. Wakeman said.

Hospital leaders broke ground on the new addition on the northwest side of the hospital with a ceremony Monday evening. Mr. Wakeman thanked the hospital’s foundation, which contributed $5 million to the project. The Spieker Co. is the general contractor.

Contact Lauren Lindstrom at llindstrom@theblade.com, 419-724-6154, or on Twitter @lelindstrom.