E87 – Where FGI Stops & Innovation Begins: Launching an Open Heart Program with ECMO Treatment at a Community Hospital
Launching an open-heart cardiology surgical program within an existing community hospital presents unique architectural, operational, and regulatory challenges. This presentation explores the strategic planning and design for introducing a cardiovascular specialty service line with a new hybrid OR, CVOR, and an intensive care unit (CVICU). This session will define clinical and spatial benchmarks for an open-heart program and ECMO Treatment (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation), linking these highly specialized services to architectural implications not defined in FGI.
Attendees will gain insight into co-locating surgical and ICU functions, positioning a trauma-sized elevator, and modernizing technology in patient rooms with ceiling-mounted booms in place of traditional headwalls. The presentation will share research and data generated by full-scale mockups and design study simulations that validated staff workflows and patient transport. Additionally, the session will overlay FGI requirements onto planning decisions, demonstrating how compliance can be achieved while advancing innovation in high-acuity specialized patient care.
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