Ascension to open vascular center, expects fewer COVID-19 cases
Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside had two great pieces of news to share in mid-April: The completion and upcoming opening of a brand-new, $55 million center for heart patients, and what hospital officials believe to be a falling off of new Coronavirus infections.
Ascension completed construction of its new, $55-million Delores Barr Weaver Heart and Vascular Pavilion at its hospital campus in Riverside in April and was ready to receive Coronavirus patients in the facility even as minor exterior work was ongoing, however, officials soon realized the space might not be needed due to a drop in the number of new Coronavirus patients in mid-April. The pavilion, located at 1 Shircliff Way, is directly connected to the hospital. A celebration of its opening is planned for the first week in May.
While Ascension had originally made contingency plans to use the pavilion’s 60 new beds – 30 earmarked for intensive care unit (ICU) patients and 30 for medical and surgical patients – for those inflicted with Coronavirus if needed, they no longer think that will be necessary.
“If it were needed, it could be flexed up to 60 ICU beds,” said Tom VanOsdol, president and CEO of Ascension Florida and Gulf Coast, and an Avondale resident. “But, based on the volume we’re seeing today, it’s not going to be needed for Coronavirus patients. We are going to be able to maintain our Coronavirus patients (in current hospital settings). The statistical model was updated on April 17, and it indicates we may already have seen the surge. We believe we are going to be able to manage through this safely.”
VanOsdol said that Ascension was caring for Coronavirus patients in its main tower and was reporting infections to the state Department of Health (DOH) twice a day. At press time, the DOH website reported about 900 cases in Duval County as a whole, with around 80 hospitalizations. The median age for patients was 49. The department continues to update data on its website, https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/
#latest-stats.
The construction of the center was made possible through the generosity of many donors, including its namesake, as well as St. Vincent’s employees. Much of St. Vincent’s operating budget also paid for construction.
“Delores Barr Weaver was very generous in supporting our philanthropic efforts,” VanOsdol said. “We really want to thank her and all of our generous donors who supported the campaign. There were many, many, and my wife and I did as well. At the end of the day, the majority came from our operations and our Ascension national ministry. We had a very successful employee giving campaign.”
Susan Cornejo, chief operating officer of Ascension Florida and Gulf Coast, said in a released statement that the facility’s long-term use is centered on Northeast Florida residents’ heart and vascular needs. However, the facility will not be used for its intended purpose – nursing patients who have undergone open-heart surgery or other cardiovascular procedures – until a government imposed moratorium on elective and non-urgent procedures is lifted.
By Jennifer Edwards
Resident Community News
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