Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center

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Destination St. Luke's

Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center

• 2900 W Oklahoma Ave
  Milwaukee, WI 53215
  
  Phone: 414-649-6000 • Fax: 414-649-7982
  Map and Driving Directions

• Hours of Operation:

  24 hours/day, 7 days a week.Individual departments vary.

St. Luke’s remains one of the top cardiac centers in the United States. Our accomplishments include more than 25 cardiac firsts in the state, region and nation, and St. Luke’s is home to some of the most innovative cardiac care programs and treatment options in the Midwest.

St. Luke's Patient Tower continues to bring world-class heart care to every person who needs it. All education, prevention, diagnostic and treatment services—both for inpatient and outpatient care—are available under one roof.

Why St. Luke’s Heart Care Model Is Better

You can't separate the heart from the rest of the body.That’s why you can't separate heart care from the rest of the hospital. There's a very big difference between a stand-alone heart hospital and one that is attached to the region's major tertiary care center.

"If you face complications or non-heart related ailments, the specialists on staff at the stand-alone facilities work elsewhere and need to travel to treat the patient," said Dr. David Kress, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at St. Luke's. "At the Patient Tower, those specialists are down the hall."

Nearly 90 percent of the time, chest pain does not mean a heart problem. Patients are much better off going to an ED that can treat whatever the problem might be. And, high volumes mean better outcomes. In 2003, St. Luke's Medical Center performed nearly 11,000 cardiac procedures, nearly three times the number at any other hospital in the Milwaukee area.

The New England Journal of Medicine reported that 123 out of 128 studies found lower mortality at high volume hospitals. The physician authors concluded, "... most patients facing ... surgery have no way of knowing the relative quality of the hospitals near them. In the absence of other information ... patients undergoing selected cardiovascular procedures can significantly reduce their risk of operative death by selecting a high volume hospital."

About St. Luke’s Medical Center

During the past several years, the need for advanced heart care services has grown considerably in southeastern Wisconsin. The demand is clearly present—more cardiac surgeries, heart transplants, cardiac catheterizations and angioplasties are performed at St. Luke's than in any other hospital in Wisconsin. And for the sake of convenience, patients are asking to have these heart care services centrally located.

The Heart Center addresses these needs, offering the latest innovations in heart care. It is among the most sophisticated heart care centers in the Midwest. And it continues St. Luke's tradition of providing the most experienced caregivers and options in heart care.

Centralized Services

The Heart Center’s unique design consolidates St. Luke's cardiac services into one central, convenient location, and adds new services to our list of specialties.

All medical, surgical, diagnostic, education and prevention services are located together. Integrated services such as operating rooms, intensive care units, cardiac catheterization labs, diagnostics and related services are adjacent to one another. More than 30,000 square feet are now dedicated to outpatient services. Programs such as the Arrhythmia/Pacewatch Clinic, electrophysiology lab, cardiac imaging, stress testing and cardiac nuclear medicine suites are also centralized for patient convenience.

Space to Operate

The Heart Center's additional square footage accommodates the latest, most advanced medical technology in cardiac care. It features up to 8 new operating rooms, 78 intensive care units and nearly 200 private patient rooms. There are also specialized clinics for pre- and post-transplant patients, congestive heart failure patients and those requiring long-term drug therapies. The lower levels house new outpatient facilities, as well as consumer services directly related to cardiovascular health.

Advanced Care

Highly advanced services beyond heart care, such as bone marrow transplant, neurosurgery, abdominal transplant, endovascular therapy, pancreatic biliary services and the hospital's intensive care units, also benefit from the new tower. Some of these specialized units will move to the new Heart Center. Others will enjoy greater flexibility and space.

With room to expand, many of our tertiary services will have an opportunity to pursue additional research capabilities and will continue to incorporate ever-evolving technology, offering additional treatment options for our patients.