Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Milwaukee recently opened a new $5.2 million hybrid operating room, a step forward in its ongoing effort to become a tertiary care center.
Columbia St. Mary’s Foundation supported the new procedural space with a $400,000 gift to help purchase surgical devices, imaging technologies and software.
“We’re excited to provide these specialized services to our patients and are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community donors,” said Kelly Elkins, president of Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital.
The new hybrid operating room, which combines a traditional operating room with an image-guided interventional suite, can convert from a cardiac catheterization lab to a surgical room as needed.
It’s the latest in a series of investments Ascension Wisconsin has made at its Columbia St. Mary’s campus, including a new $16 million labor and delivery unit at the Women’s Medical Center and a new $2 million neurosurgery clinic.
The health system is working to make Columbia St. Mary’s its tertiary center, a designation given to major hospitals capable of handling the most advanced and specialized medical cases. Existing tertiary centers in the region include Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, Froedtert Hospital and ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital.
In the new hybrid operating room, physicians will perform a variety of cardiovascular, neurosurgical and interventional radiology procedure. Cardiovascular procedures will include minimally invasive valve replacement, arteriogram, angioplasty and complex endovascular stent procedures.
Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s recently completed its first transcatheter aortic valve replacement cardiovascular procedure – a less invasive procedure for people who are at intermediate or greater risk for open heart surgery – in February.
A multi-disciplinary team, made up of interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and specialized support staff, is leading Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s transcatheter aortic valve replacement program.
“The development of our cardiovascular service line allows us to provide the right care at the right place and time for our patients,” said Bernie Sherry, ministry market executive of Ascension Wisconsin. “It is part of Ascension Wisconsin’s strategy to develop Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s as our tertiary center and bring new and expanded services to the communities we are privileged to serve.”
