Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital opens Hamon Tower for treating critically ill patients

With focus on complex cases, facility called 'future of hospital care'

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas announces the opening of the Hamon Tower, the largest expansion in the hospital's history -- a medical complex devoted to intensive care for the region's most critically ill patients.

With investments in the latest generation of diagnostic technologies and new clinical programs for ICU patients, Hamon Tower is designed to make hospital care more comfortable and efficient for patients.

"Twenty-five years ago, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas changed the way women and newborns are cared for with the opening of the Margot Perot Center for Women and Infants," said Philip M. Wentworth, FACHE, interim president of Texas Health Dallas. "Today, Perot, as it's simply known around the region, is synonymous with nursing excellence, compassionate care and quality medical care. Hamon will put that same kind of stamp on critical care medicine in North Texas."

The building, named in honor of Dallas philanthropist Nancy B. Hamon, features 460,000 square feet of new space, with 177 private rooms and a major expansion of the hospital's ICUs and other critical care areas.

Clinical programs and technological advances are aimed at post-operative intensive care of the most complex cases.

"With advanced diagnostic technologies and a specially designed program for the care of ICU patients, the goal is rapid diagnosis, early treatment, fewer complications and shorter hospital stays," said Dr. Tom Shires, chair of surgical services. "This is the future of hospital-based medicine; North Texans can be proud to count Hamon among their healthcare choices."

Advanced diagnostics include the state's first-ever Flash CT machine, a new type of CAT scan that provides rapid, high definition imaging with significantly less radiation.

A new intensivist program puts the care of ICU patients under the guidance of board-certified critical care physicians, who directly oversee patient care in the ICU throughout the day.

"Our program puts intensivists at the bedside in the ICU, ready to address complications that could arise," said Dr. Gary Weinstein, chief of critical care medicine.

Designed by HKS Architects, Hamon features rooms that are 25 percent larger than traditional hospital rooms with nursing substations between rooms and bedside electronic health records.

"The electronic health record is part of the facility's DNA," Dr. Shires said. "It's the building block of Hamon's communications' and clinical technologies."