Designed
with Heart
The Transformation of
Emory Healthcare's
Heart & Vascular Floor
Story by Leigh Wilkins
Photography and Design by Greta High
Seven years of preparation. Thousands of construction details. Millions of dollars in investment. Designing an entire floor of a hospital is a feat of planning—yet nothing reveals the effectiveness of a design like the experience of its first year.
Emory Healthcare’s new Heart & Vascular procedure floor welcomed its first patients in March 2024. The inviting new space aimed to enhance clinical team collaboration, streamline workflows and, ultimately, enhance the patient experience. Only time would tell: would the design deliver on its promise?
One year (and thousands of patient interactions) later, we're thrilled to say—yes. While design, planning and financial investment helped pave the way for the reconceptualized heart and vascular space, this new third floor of the Emory University Hospital Tower—informally known as "3T"—is about more than that. It's about the 200+ doctors, nurses and other team members who care for patients, day in and day out. It's about building on Emory Healthcare's long legacy of innovation in heart and vascular care.
Most importantly, it's about keeping patients and families at the heart of all we do.
What's Inside
The new space features a suite of cardiovascular and thoracic operating rooms (ORs), catheterization laboratories (cath labs) and electrophysiology laboratories (EP labs), all with the latest technology to advance patient care. Patients needing an overnight stay have immediate access to our new 16-bed cardiovascular intensive care unit (CV-ICU), located one floor away in the hospital tower on the fourth floor.
Now, we're celebrating the heart and vascular floor's first anniversary in style by taking you behind the scenes of this unique space. You'll learn how our expert team brought a "cardboard city" to life, broke down virtual walls to enhance collaboration and made crucial design decisions to elevate the patient experience.
But first, let's look at what our heart and vascular spaces were like "B3T"—before 3T.
That Was Then
Emory Healthcare has been at the forefront of heart and vascular care in Georgia for almost 75 years. In the 1950s and '60s, our surgeons were the first in the state to repair mitral valve stenosis and do aortic valve replacements. In 1970, they performed the state's first coronary bypass surgery. Ten years later, German cardiologist and radiologist Andreas Gruentzig, MD—often cited as the “father of interventional cardiology”—came to Emory and built the most prominent interventional cardiology program in the country.
Our surgeons have performed more than 1,000 heart transplants since 1985.
As the heart and vascular program grew and evolved, it became clear our procedural spaces needed to as well, says Michael Halkos, MD, MSc, chief of the division of cardiothoracic surgery at Emory Healthcare and Emory University School of Medicine.
"While we've always used state-of-the-art equipment, much of the facility retained the original footprint," Dr. Halkos says. "An updated floor plan would ensure patients could have multiple procedures in a single room and more efficient transitions from procedure areas to the cardiovascular intensive care unit."
The previous setup also hindered real-time collaboration among specialists. Surgery, cath lab and EP treatment teams tended to work separately. This is common practice at most hospitals, but it's not ideal. The vision for the new floor aimed to prioritize collaboration and integration.
In 2017, Dr. Halkos and other Emory Healthcare leaders agreed it was time for a radical change. He and a team of doctors and administrators began to explore options for a new heart and vascular procedure space. Leading the charge was Angel León, MD, an electrophysiologist and the executive director of Emory Heart & Vascular.
Cardiologist and Emory Healthcare CEO Joon S. Lee, MD (with scissors) and other leaders celebrate the opening of Emory Heart & Vascular's newly renovated space at a ribbon cutting ceremony in March 2024. Photo by Jack Kearse.
Cardiologist and Emory Healthcare CEO Joon S. Lee, MD (with scissors) and other leaders celebrate the opening of Emory Heart & Vascular's newly renovated space at a ribbon cutting ceremony in March 2024. Photo by Jack Kearse.
Our expert team welcomes patients seeking care for complex cardiovascular conditions at Emory Heart & Vascular. In this photo: Wissam Jaber, MD , interventional cardiologist and cardiac cath lab director.
Our expert team welcomes patients seeking care for complex cardiovascular conditions at Emory Heart & Vascular. In this photo: Wissam Jaber, MD , interventional cardiologist and cardiac cath lab director.
Advanced technology in every surgical suite ensures the highest level of patient safety. Here Nadim Choudhury, MD, intubates a patient.
Advanced technology in every surgical suite ensures the highest level of patient safety. Here Shah, MD, intubates a patient.
Cardboard City
Life-sized cardboard cutouts allowed designers to visualize treatment spaces and optimize workflows. “Cardboard City” helped minimize surprises on opening day.
Perseverance Pays Off
Deciding where to build the new space took time. Then, the pandemic hit, temporarily disrupting forward progress. In 2021, Emory Healthcare leadership approved the construction project.
The goal? Bring all heart and vascular services together in one streamlined space to improve efficiency, patient safety and team collaboration. The design process involved extensive input from all provider groups, ensuring that the final layout met everyone's needs.
Just upstairs, work on the fourth floor cardiovascular intensive care unit began in the fall of 2022, followed by a "groundbreaking" of the third floor procedural space just two months later. By March 2024, both floors were open and fully operational.
Create a MyChart account or call 404-778-0175 to schedule an appointment with Emory Heart & Vascular.
Physicians, refer patients to Emory Heart & Vascular by calling 404-778-5050.
The procedural space offers the complete spectrum of heart and vascular services, from clot-busting treatments to open-heart surgeries. It includes:
These enhancements don’t just benefit the care teams—they provide a better experience for patients. The new patient areas are well-thought-out and spacious.
"When we moved to the new space, I loved it because patients had more privacy in prep and recovery," says Sherry, a patient care technician. "The rooms are larger and more comfortable. And the beautiful scenery outside helps patients feel more relaxed. The waiting areas have plenty of space, too."
A Closer Look Inside the Hybrid OR
In our new heart and vascular procedural suite, surgical and cardiology specialists can work side-by-side using the latest technology, providing the most innovative care with the best outcomes.
Emory surgical teams can broadcast cardiovascular procedures throughout the world for training and learning purposes.
The hybrid OR is one of the first in the U.S. to use fiber-optic technology that protects patients and medical teams from unnecessary X-ray radiation exposure during interventional procedures.
“The best part of my job is getting patients ready for their procedure. I know I’m sending them off to a great space and they're in good hands.”
— Anne, RN, prep and recovery area
"The rooms are larger and more comfortable. And the beautiful scenery outside helps patients feel more relaxed. The waiting areas have plenty of space, too."
— Sherry, patient care technician
Heart and Vascular Care
Emory Heart & Vascular is consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top heart health centers in the United States.
Make an appointment with one of our experts by calling 404-778-7777 or schedule an appointment online.
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"We're cutting-edge, and that makes it exciting to work here."
— Anne, RN, prep and recovery area
The Road to Collaboration
Architecturally and operationally, the new heart and vascular floor addressed the need for collaboration with its well-designed spaces and efficient layout. But true collaboration doesn't happen overnight, says Dr. Halkos. It relies on multiple teams of people learning how to do things differently.
"The new space took surgeons and proceduralists and their teams out of the individual microcosms where we'd functioned for so long," he explains. "Learning how to work together better required a seismic culture change. Fortunately, everyone felt excited about the opportunity to do something different to impact patient care, and the transition has been seamless."
Paula, RN, assistant director of procedure services for cardiology at Emory Healthcare, was one of many who helped lead the way in establishing collaborative workflows. "We had to get to know each other," she says. "Our leaders created new processes and were always present in emergencies to ensure teams functioned well. Now, everyone works together beautifully."
That sense of connection extends beyond the walls of the new space, thanks to progressive technology that allows surgical teams to broadcast cardiovascular procedures. This capability gives specialists, surgical residents and medical students at Emory Healthcare and beyond new opportunities to build their expertise.
Learning how to work together better required a seismic culture change. Fortunately, everyone felt excited about the opportunity to do something different to impact patient care.
"My favorite part of the day is coming into the rooms to clean and chatting with everyone. I also really like being behind the scenes and seeing what goes into a case."
— Eveline, environmental services
A World-Class Program
Like everyone at Emory Heart & Vascular, Sanders enjoys being in the new space, with its shiny equipment, innovative technology and abundant natural light. But what she really loves are the people who work there.
"Our team is very dedicated—they go out of their way to make patients and families comfortable and provide excellent care," Paula says. "And when someone they love needs cardiovascular care, our employees want them to come here. That says a lot."
For Dr. Halkos, what’s most gratifying about the space is that it allows his team to do their best work. “Our surgeons and proceduralists focus on super-specialization, which means we have experts in all aspects of heart and vascular care, from robotic surgery and aortic repair to bypass surgery and heart transplantation,” he says.
I’m grateful to have a facility that allows us to provide excellent patient care, develop new therapies, recruit doctors with advanced expertise and train the next generation of heart and vascular specialists. All of this is translating into improved patient outcomes, not just here but everywhere.
“My favorite part of working here is the awesome, hardworking staff that I have the privilege of working with every day! We have faced many changes and challenges as a team with poise.”
— Sarah, RN
"Our surgical team has all the equipment and supplies we need in one place. We don’t have to move patients to another room for their next procedure or move heavy equipment from another room to treat them. It’s all right here."
— Tanesha, BSN, RN, CVOR, nurse clinician
Emory Healthcare Can Help
Emory Heart & Vascular is nationally recognized for treating complex heart conditions using the most progressive treatment options and therapies.
Make an appointment with one of our experts by calling 404-778-7777 or schedule an appointment online.
Physicians, refer patients to Emory Heart & Vascular by calling 404-778-5050.
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