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Send to a FriendThe dedication ceremony, held at the East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU, capped more than four years of work to bring a world-class cardiovascular disease institute to eastern North Carolina. In 2004, the N.C. General Assembly approved $60 million for a research, education and outpatient care facility at ECU. Pitt County Memorial Hospital (PCMH) secured private funding for a $160 million bed tower.
"What we dedicate today is a concept called the East Carolina Heart Institute that encompasses these new facilities, dedicated to the people of this region, and to the physicians, researchers, educators and staff devoted to their care," said Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood Jr. (shown), who is chief of cardiothoracic surgery and vascular surgery in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the Brody School of Medicine at ECU. He also senior associate vice chancellor for health sciences at ECU.
The new buildings aren't the only sign of a new approach to heart disease for ECU and PCMH. The two organizations have also redefined their model for treating cardiovascular illnesses. Both have organized their clinical staffs around illnesses and disease processes, rather than following a traditional model based on academic specialties. That new model encourages more information sharing among doctors and puts new emphasis on patients' best interests, Chitwood said.
"This new model of care delivery is an innovative way to blend the science and art of medicine so that we add value to the patient," Chitwood said.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease in North Carolina justifies the massive investment in treating and researching heart and vascular illnesses. Cardiovascular disease is the second-leading cause of death in the state, and nearly a quarter of North Carolinians suffer from cardiovascular ailments.
Planning for the heart institute dates to early 2003. ECU and PCMH broke ground for the institute in March 2006. In addition to the six-story 375,000-square-foot bed tower, the East Carolina Heart Institute at PCMH spawned a pair of companion projects: construction of a massive central utility plant to power the new building and the relocation of Moye Boulevard.
The East Carolina Heart Institute at PCMH has 120 cardiovascular beds, six operating rooms, seven interventional laboratories, three electrophysiology labs and a heart-healthy cafeteria, all designed to create the optimal patient care environment.
The four-story, 206,000-square-foot East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU houses scientific and clinical research, robotic-surgery training, space for simulation laboratories, a clinical outpatient facility for cardiovascular diseases, a database center, offices and an auditorium.