hrouded in tarp and scaffolding, the front entrance of Winthrop is taking on a whole new appearance these days. That's because construction on a new, 26,000'sq. ft. Heart Surgery Center and a 15,000 sq. ft. Pediatric Inpatient Center is now underway, addressing the growing need for highly specialized cardiac and pediatric care throughout the Long Island region. Winthrop's ambitious project will add a fourth and fifth floor to the existing North Pavilion, streamlining the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and catering to the unique healthcare needs of children.

The site of the future Heart Surgery Center and Pediatric Inpatient Center will add two additional floors to the Hospital's existing North Pavilion.

New Heart Surgery Center
Cardiac patients, living with debilitating cardiac disease, can take heart knowing a new, highly sophisticated facility will further compliment Winthrop's world-class Institute for Heart Care.

Winthrop's new Heart Surgery Center will include an additional operating room, 22 intensive care and step down rooms, three ICU nursing stations, and larger patient rooms including 26 telemetry beds for optimal care and bedside monitoring throughout a patient's hospital stay. Comfortably appointed waiting areas and lounges for family members who choose to be close to their loved ones before and after surgery will also be available. The Center will be staffed with Winthrop's exceptionally skilled surgeons and critical care specialists for seamless, around-the-clock continuum of care.

A related expansion project will include a new cardiac catheterization laboratory (the Hospital's fourth), outfitted with an all-digital cardiovascular imaging system. This revolutionary equipment will enable interventional cardiologists to view hard-to'see blood vessels in explicit detail, helping them to determine the extent of plaque build-up and to perform emergency or elective procedures for patients with coronary artery and heart valve obstructions.

A new Electrophysiology Laboratory will also be added, accommodating more patients for the diagnosis of heart arrhythmias and continuing to provide the groundbreaking, life-altering procedures for which it is known.

The Pediatric Inpatient Center's bright and cheerful entry, lobby and concierge desk.

New Pediatric Pavilion - A Homelike Setting That Promotes Healing Surgery. Cancer. Tonsillitis. Seizures. These are all big words for small patients. Hospitalization can be a traumatic experience for children as well as their families, and that's why Winthrop has set out to create one of the most family-friendly Pediatric Inpatient Centers around.

Rivaling some of the areas largest pediatric facilities, the new pediatric center will be a welcoming facility with plenty of natural light filtering in through the skylights to create a sense of warmth and openness. Bright colors will add cheer and adornments such as a tropical aquarium will help to create a feeling of home.

The new Heart Surgery Center will house 22 Intensive Care rooms each equipped with advanced telemetry and bedside monitoring technology.

Families will be greeted at a large welcome desk where a patient navigator will be accessible to answer questions and address concerns about a child's stay at Winthrop. A large family waiting area will add to the welcoming and comforting atmosphere, and special sleep couches will be available in every room for parents wishing to stay overnight with their children.

In addition to being equipped with the most advanced technology and staffed with Winthrop's highly skilled pediatric specialists, the unit's new playroom will incorporate play into medicine, helping children cope with their surroundings and situations. Staffed by Child Life Specialists, the playroom will serve as a safe haven where no medical treatment is rendered, a place for patients to spend time on the computer, play video or board games, watch videos and act like kids. Child Life Specialists engage hospitalized children in medical play, helping them understand medical procedures to take away some of their anxiety and fright. The Pediatric Inpatient Center will also house a specialized, five-room cancer unit. These rooms will provide privacy for patients and families and will be equipped with sleep'sofas for parents to stay with their kids. Pediatric cancer patients will also have full access to the Child Life Playroom and its fun activities, providing them with the friendly socialization that is so important in healing.

The larger Child Life playroom and lounge will accommodate more children and more fun games and activities.

With the creation of a new, highly specialized and sophisticated Heart Surgery Center and the bright and warm Pediatric Inpatient Center, patients can rest assured that their hearts and kids will be in the best of hands in the most modern of facilities.

For more information on Winthrop's Institute for Heart Care or the Institute for Family Care, call 866-WINTHROP.