Avera Heart Hospital Breaks Ground on Three-Story Addition

Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD, has broken ground on a 35,000-square-foot addition, which is the biggest construction project since the heart hospital was built in 2001.

The $21.5 million addition, on the north side of the hospital, faces Interstate 229. It will house high-end diagnostic imaging services and administrative space. Housing imaging services in the new addition will make expansion space available for clinic services for North Central Heart, which is the heart and vascular specialty clinic attached to the Avera Heart Hospital.

"The Avera mission and Avera Heart Hospital culture are behind the growth we're seeing in heart and vascular specialty services - attracting new physicians as well as patients," said Mick Gibbs, President and CEO of the Avera Heart Hospital.

Ground floor of the three-story addition will house:

• Cardiac PET (positron emission tomography) CT that creates images of the heart from every angle using radioactive tracers to pinpoint the location of the disease.
• SPECT scan with CZT (cadmium-zinc telluride) technology, a type of imaging test that uses a radioactive substance and a special camera to create 3D pictures. It shows how well blood is flowing to the heart.
• Three nuclear stress rooms.
• 15 echo/vascular sonography rooms. Echocardiograms are a basic diagnostic test that are often a first step for heart patients.

The garden level will have cardiac MRI and space for additional CT equipment. The third level will be shell space for future expansion.

A five-foot lighted likeness of an EKG readout will be an architectural feature that's visible from I-229.

"With 22 cardiologists and more signed on for the future, North Central Heart and Avera have the largest team of heart professionals in Sioux Falls and the region. We're constantly recruiting to keep up with growing market share," Gibbs said.

A year earlier, Planet Heart screenings moved off the Avera Heart Hospital to a nearby location shared with Avera Home Medical Equipment - a move that also opened up space for added clinic exam space, capacity for outpatient surgery and a sixth catheterization lab. Also part of that project were updates to inpatient rooms.

Avera Heart Hospital was the first hospital in Sioux Falls and South Dakota dedicated solely to heart and vascular care. With a strong vision for patient-centered care, the Avera Heart Hospital has been nationally recognized multiple times for quality and service.

The first Nationally Accredited Chest Pain Center in the state and region, Avera Heart Hospital has received numerous quality recognitions, including national top 100 lists and as a five-star facility.

The hospital and its expert team serve patients with complete cardiac, electrophysiologic, thoracic and vascular care including everything from prevention to diagnostic imaging, interventional cardiology and complex surgical procedures. A 24/7 emergency department specializes in cardiovascular events including heart attack and chest pain.

The hospital supports patients with a full range of services from critical care to cardiac catheterization, laboratory, cardiac rehab and specialized imaging.

"The new imaging center will allow heart and vascular specialties to have the latest technologies to help diagnose and treat our patients. Having this level of advanced imaging technology right here in Sioux Falls will also save patients hundreds of miles of travel to be evaluated," said Christopher Paa, MD, cardiologist with North Central Heart.

"Findings from a Planet Heart screening or symptoms that result in an initial appointment with a cardiologist are like a check-engine light on your dashboard. Advanced imaging technology helps heart and vascular specialists figure out what it is and how they can best address it," Gibbs said. "That's our ultimate goal - giving our patients more time with their loved ones, more joy, more life. That's why we're here at the Avera Heart Hospital and why we are expanding to serve our community and region."

Avera leaders plan to occupy the new addition next winter.