When the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital opens this fall, it will be the only hospital in Ohio with the capabilities to treat everything dealing with the heart in one building.
The Ross Heart Hospital, which does not have an exact opening date, will be connected to the new Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute. The $82.8 million hospital, along with the Dorothy M. Davis Institute, will create a partnership between clinical practice and basic science research that will make it unique not only to Columbus, but to Ohio as well.
“The facilities at the Ross Hospital and the Davis Institute really drive each other. The research done at the Davis directly applies to what will be clinically done at the Ross,” said Bill Cloyd, director of development for the Ohio State Heart Center. “It’s really a unique model. I’m not exactly sure how many facilities around the nation are like it, but I do know it is very few.”
The 225,000-square-foot building will house 90 inpatient beds, 10 outpatient beds and six surgical rooms.
The patient rooms within the hospital are Universal Patient Rooms, which enable patients to receive all of their care in one room during their stay at the hospital. Rooms also include space out of the way of nurses and doctors, specially designed for the patients’ families to provide support for their loved ones.
The Ross Hospital will specialize in both noninvasive and invasive diagnostic services, as well as surgical treatments, interventional treatments and prevention and rehabilitation services.
Such noninvasive diagnostics include electrocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and clinical consultation.
Invasive diagnostics include cardiac catheterization, coronary angioplasties, diagnostic electrophysiology studies and device implants, most notably of which are pacemakers. The invasive diagnostics will also have a cardiac surgical suite, where surgeries such as coronary artery bypasses, valve surgeries and cardiac transplants will be performed.
“Any type of heart service in the world can be done in this hospital,” said Rich Davis, associate administrator for the OSU Heart Center. “It’s a broad statement, but no other hospital in Ohio can say that.”
Elizabeth Ross and family provided $10 million that has helped to make the Ross Hospital possible. The hospital is named to honor Elizabeth’s late husband, Richard M. Ross, who was a well-known philanthropist and business leader in Columbus.
The Abbott Laboratories Fund was given to the Ross Hospital in December 2003. The $250,000 gift was given to help support advanced cardiovascular care in central Ohio, while further honoring the Ross family. Abbott Laboratories, founded by the Ross family, is a Columbus-based company specializing in nutritional products for all ages.
Dr. Fred Sanfilippo, senior vice president for health sciences and dean of the OSU College of Medicine and Public Health, said the generosity of Abbott Laboratories and the Ross family has made the development of a heart-focused hospital possible.
“The kindness, ongoing support and foresight of Libby Ross and Abbott Laboratories can’t be understated in this endeavor,” Sanfilippo said.
The new heart hospital parking garage is also in the process of being constructed and will be finished within the next three months. A bridge from the Ross Hospital and Davis Institute facilities will connect to the $20 million, 1000-car parking garage.
