WEST WING OF CHRISTUS HIGHLAND MEDICAL CENTER

CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING

 

$60 Million Investment Includes New Home For Cancer Treatment Center, The Birth Place, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Acute Inpatient Rehab

In January, CHRISTUS Health Shreveport-Bossier celebrated the official ribbon cutting of the new West Wing addition at CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center, 1453 E. Bert Kouns in Shreveport. The West Wing is an expansion of services and facilities to the Highland campus, funded by a $60 million investment that was announced in 2013.

“This is a true milestone in our ministry,” Isaac Palmer, CHRISTUS Health Shreveport-Bossier Chief Executive Officer, said. “The West Wing is proof that CHRISTUS Health is committed to this community and that we are here to stay. We are not only celebrating the opening of the West Wing. We celebrate our expansion into Bossier; we celebrate the wound care and breast center who are housed at the Specialty Care Center. We celebrate our Associates, medical staff, volunteers, and our community who have supported us and understand our vision of bringing healthcare to where people live and work. Most importantly, we celebrate our legacy in this community that Dr. T. E. Schumpert started 120 years ago.”

In 1893, Dr. Thomas E. Schumpert was hired as chief surgeon of the Shreveport Charity Hospital at a salary of $80 per month.  The Shreveport physician pioneer opened the 16 bed hospital and later a prestigious nursing school

Pictured: Dr. T.E. Schumpert, Chief Surgeon in 1893 of Shreveport's Charity Hospital

A lot has changed since the 19th and 20th centuries.  Most certainly the way that medicine is delivered.  One has to wonder what Dr. Schumpert would think today of the advancement of medicine and continued generosity in a community he called home.

January’s $60 million investment is comprised of $55 million from the CHRISTUS Health system office and an additional $5 million was donated by the local CHRISTUS Foundation.

In addition to the $55 million CHRISTUS Health invested into the West Wing, the local CHRISTUS Foundation board contributed an extra $5 million to the project.

Pictured Left to right: Dr. Michael Stratton, medical staff president, Dr. Steen Trawick, past medical staff president, Dr. Philip Cole, chief medical officer, Duke DeWare, local foundation board president, Bishop Michael Duca, Sister Antoninus, Isaac Palmer, CEO, Gary Karg, interim chief financial officer, Stephen Wright, senior VP group operations. Behind the ribbon but  not visible: Charlotte Knoll, chief nursing officer and Bill Porter, VP of clinical operations

“These funds allowed the vision and direction of our expansion to further incorporate the best practices and ideas from our medical staff and associates,” Amy Heron, Executive Director of CHRISTUS Foundation Shreveport-Bossier, said. “These ideas to improve patient safety, family centered care and the patient’s experience were important, but required extra dollars. The Foundation and our loyal donors resoundingly answered this need. We are grateful for the continued support of our community to invest in our mission of extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.”

The West Wing will be home to the CHRSTUS Cancer Treatment Center (first floor), hospital pharmacy (first floor), The Birth Place/Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (second floor), Acute Comprehensive Inpatient Rehab (third floor), and other office and conference space.

“This is a significant expansion of CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center. The entire campus, including the separate Wound Care and Imaging Centers, have been redesigned and expanded to better meet the needs of patients and medical staff,” said  Stephen Wright, Senior Vice President Group Operations CHRISTUS Health.

The new Cancer Treatment Center features a new state-of-the-art linear accelerator, an open concept infusion area, additional private rooms, and a private entrance for patients.

“We are most excited about being together with our CHRISTUS family again in the new building with the state of the art facilities,” Dr. Scott Boniol, medical director of the CHRISTUS Cancer Treatment Center, said. “This transition to a new building is like having a new church. At the end of the day it’s not the building that makes the church, but the congregation. In our new location, we are providing our patients with the same people who have such pride in what they do, the same humility and dignity. The West Wing is a new building, but it will still have our CHRISTUS family and values, and that’s what makes the difference.”

The second floor of the West Wing will be home to The Birth Place and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. These two units will be steps from each other with two identical birthing operating rooms separating them.

“The Birth Place and NICU were specifically designed by physicians and other experts to make caring for mothers and babies safe and with families in mind,” Palmer said. “You can see that with our identical operating rooms, bonding rooms, expanded lobby, and our focus on family-centered care.”

The new labor and delivery unit will have 14 rooms that offer mother, baby couplet care that The Birth Place is known for where the mother labors, delivers, recovers, and receives postpartum care in one room. This special kind of care also allows for mother and child to receive care from one nurse.  Under the direction of Dr. Sara Serio and support from Dr. Surinder Tank, the NICU has 21 rooms to accommodate high-risk babies and those newborns that may need special medical attention.

CHRISTUS Health Shreveport-Bossier’s acute comprehensive inpatient rehab will transition to the third floor of the West Wing. This new unit will have 16 patient rooms, adult outpatient neurology therapy, women’s specialty therapy a dining room, and therapy gym for those patients who have recently had a traumatic injury, illness, or need extra time adjusting after a recent hospital stay and receive physical, occupational and speech therapy.

“Our inpatient rehab team helps those patients who are recovering from a traumatic accident or illness to get back to the highest possible level of function and independence,” Palmer said. “The new gym in the West Wing is one example of how our team helps build sense of community and accomplishment for these patients who are relearning to do the simplest, daily tasks.”

Earlier enhancements to the Highland campus included in the $60 million project included refurbishing existing patient rooms, reconfiguration of clinical space and addition of physicians’ offices as well as enhancements to the entrances and public areas. The final phase of this investment will include a new hospital lobby, legacy rooms, renovations to the critical care unit, PCU, and dialysis and additional day surgery space.

 

Pictured Left to Right: Isaac Palmer, CEO, Corbin Colvin, Miracle Child (we are the local Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospital and Corbin is a patient at one of the CMN Hospital programs  – Kids Clinic) and Stephen Wright, senior vice president group operations CHRISTUS Health