MidMichigan Health plans to build $57 million cardiovascular center

MidMichigan Health is hoping to begin a $57 million construction project at its flagship campus in Midland in fall 2017 to build a new heart and vascular center.

According to MidMichigan’s press release, the new 160,000-square-foot center would bring currently off-campus cardiology offices, non-invasive cardiovascular testing and interventional surgical heart and vascular services under one roof.

“With heart disease currently the leading cause of death in men and women both regionally and across the United States, we need to be well equipped to fight this disease," said MidMichigan Health President and CEO Diane Postler-Slattery, PhD. "We are committed to creating a premier Heart and Vascular Center that will offer world-class clinical care in a patient and family-friendly environment.

The project still requires certificate of need approval by the state of Michigan. Assuming its approved, construction would take three years and would include the demolition of the original Midland Hospital building, which first opened in 1944.

The heart and vascular center would help the hospital keep pace with its rapidly growing program. Midland performed its first open heart surgery in 2007, and now cardiovascular patients account for 59 percent of the medical center’s inpatient volume. It was named one of top 50 cardiovascular hospitals by Truven Health Analytics in 2016.

“Time is muscle and when it comes to caring for the heart, every second counts. Having all of our services under one roof will provide an environment of seamless, coordinated care for our patients,” said William Felten, MD, chief of Midland’s cardiovascular service line. “The proximity of services for our patients will also improve workflow efficiencies, communication and care delivery for our health care providers and staff.”

$27 million of the project will be dedicated to integrating the medical center’s diagnostic and support areas, including lab and imaging services, into the new heart and vascular center. There will be space left over, as well, and MidMichigan said its working with Michigan Medicine to determine how to best utilize the rest of the new building.

Construction may be familiar to many at Midland. The medical center completed a $115 million expansion project in 2011, which included six new operating rooms and reconfiguring all patient rooms into private rooms.