Baylor St. Luke's Unveils Design for First-of-Its-Kind Medical Campus

 

 

St. Luke’s Health–Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center (Baylor St. Luke’s) has unveiled the design for its $1.1 billion medical campus featuring one of the country’s top medical schools, a world-renowned cardiovascular research institute, and a nationally recognized hospital that cares for the most complex cases.

 

 

The 27.5-acre McNair Campus will become home to the collaboration between Baylor College of Medicine and Catholic Health Initiatives, and will also be the future site of the Texas Heart® Institute (THI). The campus will feature a $916.8 million, 650-bed hospital built across two bed towers, a medical office building and ambulatory care complex, and new facilities for basic science and translational research. Expected completion of hospital construction is early 2019. All clinical services currently provided at the Texas Medical Center location of Baylor St. Luke’s will be moved to the new campus.

“Physicians and scientists will work together on one integrated campus that creates a state-of-the-art infrastructure for advanced patient care, basic and translational science, and education. This establishes a unique and best-in-class environment unlike any other institution in the Texas Medical Center,” said Wayne Keathley, President, Baylor St. Luke’s.

New Standard of Academic & Medical Excellence

Guiding principles of this project include exceeding current healthcare industry standards, from scientific research and education to implementing innovative treatment and care.

“The relationship among Baylor College Medicine, Baylor St. Luke’s, and Texas Heart® Institute represents an important collaboration in academic medicine with the opportunity of accelerating translational research to patient care,” said Paul Klotman, MD, President, CEO, and Executive Dean of Baylor College of Medicine.

The care environment at the McNair Campus is designed around the human experience—modeled on evidence-based practices for the safety of patients, visitors, staff, and physicians. The hospital’s operating room suites are influenced by Six Sigma and Lean principles, which follow a linear, logical, and efficient design. The patient can be moved directly from the waiting area to surgery and to a post-operative care unit to recover with their family members. The proximity of the pre- and post-operative care unit will allow surgeons and nurses to more effectively attend to all their patients.

In addition to the partnership between Baylor College of Medicine and Baylor St. Luke’s, Texas Heart® Institute will also relocate to the McNair campus to a dedicated heart hospital within the new facility.

“Texas Heart® Institute and Baylor St. Luke’s have shared a unique relationship for more than 50 years that now will continue into the next era of medicine,” said Denton A. Cooley, MD, THI Founder and President Emeritus. “With the move of Texas Heart Institute to the McNair Campus, we will continue our legacy of transforming the delivery of cardiovascular care through the creation of new technologies, medical devices, research, and education.”

James Willerson, MD, Texas Heart® Institute President, Director of Cardiology Research, and Co-Director of the Cullen Cardiovascular Research Laboratories, added, “This campus will be a place where THI physicians and scientists can work directly with Baylor College of Medicine physicians and scientists to ultimately eliminate heart and vascular disease as major threats to human life and well-being in our country and abroad. It also provides the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world, with a heart hospital dedicated to that goal."

Latest Developments & Updates

Tower One: Existing Facility

• Earlier this year, a new state-of-the-art endoscopy suite and outpatient radiology services opened in the current McNair facility. The endoscopy suite features procedure rooms, which accommodate routine ambulatory procedures as well as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and bronchoscopy.
• An ambulatory surgical suite (for procedures such as orthopedics, plastics, urology, and ENT) will be commissioned in March 2016.
• The first stage of surgical specialty inpatient beds will be completed by September 2016.

Tower Two: New Construction

• In mid-January, construction crews will begin utilities relocation and foundation preparation for the building of Tower 2, a 420-patient bed tower.
• Excavation for the 26-foot deep foundation for Tower 2 is scheduled to begin February 2016.
• Completion of the 650-bed replacement hospital, including Tower 2 and a Medical Office Building is slated for completion in early 2019.
• Situated on the border of TMC, the location of the McNair Campus is anticipated to become a significant corridor for future healthcare services. The Campus provides easy access from locations inside and outside the TMC as well as convenient, accessible parking for patients, visitors, and staff.