Columbia St. Mary’s new hospital building on Milwaukee’s east side is often described as a “hospital of the future.” But long before the new hospital opened its doors in October, its predecessor hospitals were on the forefront of health care in Milwaukee.
In 1848, the Daughters of Charity established St. Mary’s in Milwaukee, the first private hospital in Wisconsin. From the beginning, the hospital’s goal was to treat patients’ minds, bodies and spirits with dignity and respect, says Jill Pelisek, executive in residence at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who nominated the hospital for the Health Care Hero Award.
And from the time it opened in 1909, Columbia Hospital was committed to the latest innovations in science, medicine and technology. Columbia was home to one of the nation’s first blood centers when it opened the Columbia Serum Center, now known as the Blood Center of Wisconsin.
“Columbia St. Mary’s accomplishments for the people of Milwaukee are enormous,” Pelisek writes. Other examples over the years include the Milwaukee Brace to alleviate scoliosis in children; the first “off-pump” coronary bypass procedure to be broadcast live to a global audience; and the opening of Wisconsin’s first diagnostic breast health center for women.
And now comes the new Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital building. Pelisek believes it when Columbia St. Mary’s president and chief executive officer Leo Brideau says the hospital will pay off for Milwaukee in improved health care and lower costs.
The new hospital was designed based on research showing what works best to improve patient healing and outcomes. It employs broad use of electronic medical records, reduces stress patients and hospital staff typically feel in a hospital setting, and aids in recruiting and retaining top-notch staff. The building also was structured so that it can adapt efficiently to future changes in technology.
Even the hospital’s location, which offers spectacular views of Lake Michigan, is being used to advance patient healing. Understanding the calming effect exposure to nature can have on humans, the hospital’s architects made sure that 80 percent of the building offers a view of the lake.
But, how does building a $417 million hospital save health care costs? Brideau estimates that over the long term, combining two aging hospital campuses into a single, more efficiently running structure will save an estimated $19 million in annual operating costs.
“By building it, Columbia St. Mary’s has performed community service of the highest order,” Pelisek says. “It is worthy of the Health Care Hero Award.”
