Richard L. Miller, FAIA Earl Swensson Associates, Nashville Harold D. Petty, AIA Earl Swensson Associates, Nashville Sam W. Burnette, AIA Earl Swensson Associates, Nashville

Cardiac services function more effectively and efficiently when they are integrated into a full-service hospital. Faced with the option of moving cardiac services to a freestanding facility or integrating them into a full-service hospital, health systems and facilities typically choose integration for a number of important reasons. These include continuity of care, cost-effective integration of support services, shared support spaces, and more integration in the delivery of healthcare services. At the same time, many cardiac specialists seek an environment that is exclusively designed to meet their needs. A heart hospital within a hospital often offers the best of both worlds-the separate identity physicians and hospitals often seek for a key service line, and the efficiencies of integrated clinical and administrative support services. The case studies presented in this article illustrate the benefits of an integrated approach to cardiac services and address some of the essential elements of designing facilities to deliver cardiac care. They include two major expansion and renovation projects that involved the design of designated cardiac centers at two large tertiary hospitals-Baptist Medical Center East in Memphis, Tenn., and Broward General Medical Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-as well as a third project at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville with a significant cardiac component.

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