Eisenhower Health to expand heart care offerings with $156M Cardiovascular Institute

Big and potentially lifesaving changes are coming to the Eisenhower Health campus over the next few years when it comes to addressing the Coachella Valley's cardiovascular needs.

The Rancho Mirage hospital launched a $256 million capital campaign in November 2021. Of those funds, $156 million will go toward the creation of its new Eisenhower Cardiovascular Institute, which includes the construction of a four-story outpatient cardiology ambulatory center, expansion of a cardiovascular pavilion and the new Renker Wellness Center, which opened earlier this month. The remaining $100 million is dedicated to various specialty clinics.

So far, $113 million of the $156 million goal has been raised through donors, according to Michael Landes, president of the Eisenhower Health Foundation.

The additions come at a critical time when Eisenhower Health leaders expect a 45% increase in heart failure over the coming five years in the valley (American Heart Association estimated that the number of people diagnosed with heart failure in the United States will rise 46% by 2030). The hospital's current cardiovascular center, which haven't been updated in 20 years, also cannot meet the demand, making changes even more dire.

"We are just totally busting at the seams," Dr. Philip Patel, president of the Eisenhower Desert Cardiology Center, said. "The biggest constraint is just growth, and this is on both sides, inpatient as well as outpatient."

What will come with the Eisenhower Cardiovascular Institute

The largest portion of the $156 million campaign will go toward the outpatient cardiology ambulatory center, which is estimated at $79 million. An official name is still to be determined, according to hospital spokesperson Lee Rice.

The four-story, 80,000-square-foot building will be located near the middle of Eisenhower Health's campus − conveniently becoming "a new heart of the campus," Landes said. It will consolidate services to include cardiology, cardiothoracic (specializes in surgical procedures of the heart, lungs, esophagus and other organs in the chest) and cardiovascular surgery (involves the heart or the blood vessels that carry blood to and from the heart).

The building will also house outpatient office visits and diagnostics, more than 10 cardiac and vascular labs, 100 exam rooms and more.

"We're trying to get all of our cardiac care in one roof to surround you for whatever your needs are," Landes said.

Landes said the hospital is in the process of getting city approvals for the building. If approved, he anticipates construction will begin later this fall and will be completed by December 2025.

The second component is the expansion of the inpatient cardiovascular pavilion, which is estimated to cost $71 million.

All-new construction is planned to replace obsolete infrastructure. There will be seven new procedure labs, which will include three hybrid operating suites/cath labs, two electrophysiology labs and two cardiovascular labs. In addition, there will be 32 preoperative/PACU (post anesthesia care unit)/recovery units that will double bed capacity and three non-invasive procedural suites. Surgical and other equipment will also be updated, Landes said, "which will make us, frankly, probably one of the most modern and state-of-the-art cardiovascular centers of heart care in the country."

The pavilion requires state approval because it is an inpatient hospital reconstruction project, Landes said. He estimates it will take likely two years to finish the approval process, and hopes construction will begin in 2025 or 2026.

The final component to the Eisenhower Cardiovascular Institute has already been completed. The Renker Wellness Center opened Feb. 8 following an expansion which doubled its space to 10,000 square feet. The expansion cost $6 million, according to Landes.

The center has expanded its cardiac, pulmonary and vascular rehab offerings and its Pritikin cardiac rehabilitation program, a famous heart health diet that consists of eating foods with low saturated fat and high protein content, Landes said.

Renker Wellness Center Director Melissa Mead said there are around 140 cardiac rehab patients and another 40 to 50 pulmonary rehab patients utilizing the new space. Patients typically come in two to three times a week for three to four months. Mead said people who have suffered heart attacks or have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, had stents implanted, undergone open heart surgery or experienced heart failure are among those who are referred to the center, usually before they're discharged from the hospital, and are typically in the program within a week.

Inside the space, patients have brand-new exercise equipment to use, like treadmills and stationary bikes, and they are monitored by health care professionals during their visits. There is also a patient education component to their program, in which they discuss healthy lifestyle changes to make. Along with learning about the Pritikin diet, the center will soon have cooking classes available for patients by the end of March, Mead said. Additionally, the center has a community gym that can be utilized by those who have graduated from the initial medical-prescribed program (a community membership fee applies) and Eisenhower Health staff members.

The Renker Wellness Center operates 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The remaining $100 million of the $256 million campaign will go toward seven items in the hospital's Centers of Excellence, which will include expansion of its cancer center, construction of a memory care center and more, Landes said.

The hope is to complete fundraising for the cardiovascular campaign "this season before (donors) leave," Landes said.

"It's a huge goal, but this community is ... an amazing, make-dreams-happen kind of community," he added.

The hospital previously completed a campaign for its Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic Center. Landes said most of the buildings on campus were funded by previous capital campaigns.

Dire needs

Currently, Eisenhower Health provides more than 20,000 imaging studies, 450 cardiothoracic surgeries, 600 coronary stents procedures, 3,500 cath lab procedures and 1,000 electrophysiology lab procedures annually, according to hospital spokesperson Lee Rice. But based on the growing demands of the community, need for additional doctors and lack of space available within current facilities, significant changes are necessary.

The current Desert Cardiology Center in the Hal B. Wallis Building consists of 35,000 square feet. It's been nearly 20 years since the last expansion, and staff numbers have doubled, going from nine cardiologists to what will soon be 19, Patel said.

"We've outgrown it by leaps and bounds," Patel said. "We've tried to anywhere we can put people, create rooms out of closets. We just can't grow any further."

Eisenhower Desert Cardiology Center's Chief Administrative Officer Scott Strech said the center averages 700 to 1,000 patient visits daily. Annually, more than 150,000 people are seen across the various areas under cardiovascular care, "and that's slated to grow," he added.

Local needs and advancements in the medical field also require these hefty upgrades. With an already older population residing throughout the Coachella Valley, trends in heart failure and coronary disease continue to increase, Patel said. The most common issue cardiologists see among patients over the age of 65 is atrial fibrillation, an irregular and rapid heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots in the heart. One of the treatments the hospital offers has a months-long wait time, he said, due to the limited space available with one lab. Additionally, new patients often have to wait months before an appointment is available to see a senior cardiologist.

"This is where expansion is so necessary to allow us to accommodate our patient needs," he said. While patients wait, they are monitored, hospital leaders added.

With the upgrades coming, the new ambulatory center will more than double the current facility's square footage, and the number of exam rooms will increase from 40 to 100.

Patel also noted the evolution of a new field of cardiology, structural heart interventions, has opened the door for cardiologists to offer treatments to patients who were previously only treated by surgery or were considered high-risk for surgery. With more space available, additional doctors can be hired to provide lifesaving care.

While Patel admits it has been "frustrating" that the current cardiology space has not grown commensurately with patient growth over the last two decades, what's to come brings hope for better care available in the Coachella Valley.

"It gives me a sense of satisfaction that we can offer these treatments and therapies to the patient in a timely fashion, and they don't have to be parked for months waiting to get their procedures performed," Patel said. "That's a very important thing for me."

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Changes coming to heart care with Eisenhower Cardiovascular Institute