Louisville, KY (October 11, 2012) KentuckyOne Health, a leader in cardiovascular care, announced today that it will invest an additional $30 million in its KentuckyOne Heart and Vascular Institute over the next three years. KentuckyOne has already invested more than $100 million over the past 10 years bringing the total investment to more than $130 million during that time. KentuckyOne Health treats more heart patients than any other health system in the state of Kentucky and has performed many firsts in heart care in Louisville, Lexington, the region, state and world. Kentucky has some of the nation’s highest rates of cancer, obesity and death due to heart disease and stroke. KentuckyOne Health has the resources and reach to address the state’s greatest health challenges. “Too many Kentuckians are at risk for heart attack or stroke,” said Ruth Brinkley, president/CEO, KentuckyOne Health. “We want to save more lives than ever before by investing in technology and resources to provide heart and vascular care across the Commonwealth, including to individuals in their own hometowns and communities. This additional $30 million investment will make a huge impact on the health of Kentuckians.” Plans for the additional $30 million include investments in outreach, collaboration, technologies and programs. “With KentuckyOne’s development of virtual/remote consultation clinics across the state of Kentucky, doctors can provide care to patients with heart disease closer to their homes,” said Mark Slaughter, M.D., newly appointed executive director of cardiovascular services for the KentuckyOne Health Louisville market. “I am honored to be named the new executive director of their Louisville market Cardiovascular Services and to be here at a time when this leading heart center is making additional investments and expansion in a number of programs like our Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Replacement (TAVR), Imaging, Arrhythmia and Peripheral Vascular Disease programs. An expansion of the Hybrid Operating Room technology and a dedicated Cardiac Resuscitation Center will also give patients access to more unique and specialized services,” added Slaughter who is also the director of the Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the University of Louisville. “Investment in state-of-the-art technology upgrades of our cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology laboratories means patients across central and eastern Kentucky will have access to more of the newest technologies in the U.S.,” said Robert Salley, MD, new KentuckyOne Health executive director of Cardiovascular Services in the Lexington market. “We will see enhancements to our coronary care nursing units and expansion of our cardio diagnostics ambulatory platform.” Physician alignment will also be a large part of the investment with an expansion of the heart and vascular physician network within a Clinically Integrated Network, partnerships and affiliations with healthcare continuum partners, along with an additional cash infusion in the ambulatory electronic health records. “When it comes to heart care, KentuckyOne Health is the answer for many patients, whether you live in Kentucky or other cities across the U.S.,” said Valinda Rutledge, Louisville market leader, KentuckyOne Health. “We have translated innovation from the laboratory to the healing bedside for many years. The physicians with Jewish Heart Care (Louisville) have been known to perform many firsts in heart care around the world, nation and state. As always, Jewish Hospital has been there to provide the investment in research and technologies so that those firsts could take place right here in Louisville.” “This includes clinical trials in total heart implants, ventricular assist devices, valve replacements and adult heart stem cell harvesting and implantation.” “KentuckyOne Health is taking a lead position in the fight against heart and vascular disease in the state,” said John Smithhisler, Lexington market leader. “We are investing in our physicians, technologies and collaborations to build healthier communities.” “We continue to reach out to communities bringing better health care to central and eastern Kentucky and we remain at the forefront of cardiovascular care among regional hospitals,” added Smithhisler. Combining their heart care across the state, the vision of the new KentuckyOne Heart and Vascular Institute is to be the leader in the development and delivery of a Heart and Vascular Services network by offering evidence-based, person-centered, reliable care in the most appropriate care setting to improve health in the populations KentuckyOne serves. The vision will be advanced through strategic alignment with physicians and healthcare delivery partners, innovation and a clinical covenant with patients and payors. About KentuckyOne Health KentuckyOne Health was formed when two major Kentucky health care organizations came together in 2012. KentuckyOne Health combines the Jewish and Catholic heritages of the two former systems – Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System. The nonprofit system is committed to improving the health of Kentuckians by integrating medical research, education, technology and health care services wherever patients receive care. KentuckyOne Health has nearly 200 locations including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies, with more than 13,600 employees across the state of Kentucky and southern Indiana. KentuckyOne Health is the largest health system in Kentucky and has more than 2,325 licensed beds.
