Dedicated Heart Care Floor at Albert B. Chandler Hospital

The Next Step in UK HealthCare's Mission

The opening of the eighth floor of UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital marks the next step in UK HealthCare’s mission to provide patients with the latest advances in heart care in an environment carefully designed to promote healing.

The Cardiovascular Services floor includes a 32-bed cardiovascular intensive care unit (ICU), making it one of the largest of its kind in the nation.

In this new unit, we provide care for patients who have the most complex heart conditions. The dedicated heart care floor also features a 32-bed unit for telemetry and progressive care.

Patients will move to this unit once they are stable enough to leave the cardiovascular ICU. Telemetry nurses are specially trained to monitor heart patients and assist in the transition out of the hospital and on the path to wellness. Patients on Floor 8 will begin their cardiac rehab program. CATwalkers, a group of physical therapy students and volunteers who are overseen by a physical therapist, this will help heart patients regain their mobility through appropriate exercise.

Locating heart patients in one area enables our team of expert doctors, nurses and other care providers to easily communicate and share knowledge and resources. Patients benefit from an experienced team that provides around-the-clock care for heart disease.

Patients on Floor 8 receive a full range of inpatient heart care, including:

  • Emergency treatment for heart attacks.
  • Cardiac arrest treatment, including therapeutic hypothermia, where the body is cooled to prevent brain damage when the heart restarts and blood flow returns to the brain.
  • Heart failure treatment.
  • Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which provides critical oxygen to a patient’s blood when failing heart or lungs cannot do the job.
  • Heart transplants, including heart and kidney transplants and the state’s only program offering combined heart and lung transplants.
  • Medical and surgical treatments for valve disease. Treatment includes the minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, where a new valve is implanted using a catheter.
  • Catheter-based options for treating dangerous blood clots in the lungs and veins.
  • Catheter-based and surgical treatments for atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other complications.
  • Advanced cardiac imaging.
  • Postoperative care for heart and cardiothoracic surgery.

Designed for Safe, High-Quality Care

The Cardiovascular Services floor, like all floors in UK Chandler Hospital Pavilion A, is designed to provide the safest, most efficient care for patients.

The floor is designed to position nurses at a patient’s bedside and reduce the time spent away from patient care. Each patient room is equipped with a nurse work station right outside the door.

Important diagnostic testing and other equipment are located directly on the heart care floor. This means patients who require an echocardiogram can receive it near their hospital room, which minimizes wait times and prevents patients from having to move around to different areas of the hospital.

Floor 8 will also be the first in Pavilion A to take advantage of a barcode medication system. This process improves patient safety by minimizing the potential for medication errors.

Patient Care in Pavilion A

All patient rooms in Pavilion A are private and have the same size and design, improving staff efficiency and promoting safety. Each room is nearly 300 square feet, creating a comfortable environment for patients and visitors and making sure we can accommodate any health care technology that becomes available in the future.

Wall-mounted flat-screen televisions are in every room on the Cardiovascular Services floor. The TVs will display important health information and help doctors and nurses clearly explain to patients what their care plan is every day.

For visitors, rooms also include a work desk with wireless Internet access and a built-in sleeper sofa for overnight stays. Large windows provide natural light and outdoor views.

A Healing Environment

Keeneland Race Course and Maker’s Mark have generously supported UK HealthCare and the UK Gill Heart Institute by providing art and features to create a healing environment. Waiting areas feature equine-themed artwork. Bright, airy waiting rooms are comfortably furnished to provide a relaxed, welcoming environment for visitors.

About the UK Gill Heart Institute

The Cardiovascular Services floor at UK Chandler Hospital is an extension of the full range of heart care services available through the UK Gill Heart Institute. The Gill Heart Institute provides a level of service unmatched in Kentucky. Nine Gill doctors were named to the prestigious Best Doctors in America® 2014 list, including seven in cardiovascular disease and two in vascular surgery.

The Linda and Jack Gill Building is home to our outpatient cardiology clinic, where patients come for consultations and follow-up appointments. The building also houses facilities for important tests for patients who do not need to be admitted to the hospital. Outpatient services in the clinic include:

  • Echocardiograms, which use sound waves to evaluate the heart’s chamber and valves.
  • Stress tests, which are administered while a patient walks on a treadmill or is given medication to monitor the heart during exercise.
  • Holter monitors, which are worn by a patient for 24 to 48 hours to record heartbeats that the doctor then reviews and evaluates.
  • Cardiac catheterizations.
  • Electrophysiology studies, where catheters are placed inside the heart to study its electrical system.
  • CT, MRI and other advanced cardiovascular imaging and technology.

More Information

To learn more about our cardiovascular services or to make an appointment, please call 859-257-1000 or 800-333-8874 (toll free).