Open heart patients at Baptist Hospital East can recover and recuperate in added privacy and comfort in the 10,000-square-foot Cardiac Care Center.

The center features a six-bed Open Heart Unit for surgical recovery, and a 12-bed Cardiovascular Unit where patients are moved after initial recovery. Conveniently located on the same floor as Surgery, the focus is on patient-centered care.

The comforts of home are found in each room – all of which are private – private bathroom, full-size flat-screen TV, recliner and sleep sofa for family members.

For families coming from far away, a two-person sleep room with full bath is available on the unit on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Family members can relax in a spacious waiting area complete with flat-screen TV, laptop computer plug-in and nearby refreshment center. Before their loved one goes home, family members receive one-on-one education about caring for the heart patient.

High-tech features of the unit include continuous patient monitoring from the bedside, hallway and nurses’ station and special beds that both weigh the patient and alert nursing staff that the patient is getting up.

The new unit complements Baptist East’s cardiovascular services, including a Chest Pain Unit in the Emergency Department, open heart surgery rooms, diagnostic imaging, cardiac cath labs and three-phase Cardiac Rehabilitation program.