The UC Board of Regents approved beginning the construction of a new Cardiovascular Center and expansion of Thornton Hospital at its May 20 meeting. They followed the recommendations of the Regents’ Finance, and Grounds and Buildings committees, which gave their approval May 19.
The project is being made possible through efforts of the UCSD Cardiovascular Center Board, which has raised $30 million through fundraising events and community gifts.
The Cardiovascular Center, which began in 1996 and is currently a “center without walls,” will be built adjacent to Thornton Hospital. Formal plans for the development of the center will include an outpatient facility, 16 to 20 examination rooms, and related diagnostic and treatment services from UCSD medical specialists.
“Cardiovascular disease and stroke are the first and third leading causes of death and disability in the nation’s adult population,” Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences Edward M. Holmes said. “And the numbers are growing, so we feel a tremendous responsibility to provide leadership in research and patient care for these significant public health issues. The [Center] will enable us to centralize and expand outpatient care and clinical research programs.”
According to Leslie Franz, director of health sciences communications, about 16 percent of patients discharged from hospitals in the San Diego county in 2002 had cardiovascular-related health problems, and the number is expected to rise to 18 percent by 2012.
“As the population increases and the population of older people increases, the number of people with cardiovascular problems will increase as well,” Franz said.
Thornton Hospital, which opened in 1993, will also be expanding its facilities and services due to pressing capacity issues. According to both Franz and Holmes, the hospital is often operating at capacity in several areas due to the fact that San Diego has one of the fastest-growing and also one of the fastest-aging populations.
“We’re anticipating an increased demand for our health care services,” Franz said.
The expansion proposal includes the addition of 12 to 24 intensive care beds, an expansion of the emergency rooms, the addition of operating rooms and new cardiac catheterization labs. Additional physicians will also be recruited.
“If our [Intensive Care Unit] beds are filled with critically ill patients, we may have to postpone elective surgeries until an ICU bed is available,” Holmes said. “Also, the growing demand on our emergency services will lead to longer waits.”
According to Holmes, UCSD is in a unique position to provide quality health care to the local community.
“As the region’s only university health system, we have the unique obligation and opportunity to serve the community with the most advanced care, highly specialized services and access to clinical trials that offer promising new therapies for people who may have failed conventional treatment,” Holmes said.
Franz concurred with Holmes on the importance of the university in the medical setting.
“Our mission is to conduct research and to bring the latest advances into the patient care setting that is really unique to the university setting,” Franz said.
Completed plans for the new center and the hospital’s expansion will be presented to the Regents within a year for final approval. According to Franz, construction for the Cardiovascular Center and the expansion of the hospital ideally will be completed by mid-2008.
