We finished Transforming Surgery

We finished Transforming Surgery renovation and expansion

The final phase of the Bryan East Campus Renovation is finished. This three-year, $47 million project updated public spaces, clinical areas and surgical environments.

Former Chief of Staff Ken Gross, MD, Associated Anesthesiologists, says:

After three years of construction, the new pre-operative area, post-operative anesthesia care unit and new operating rooms are well worth the wait. The preoperative area’s private rooms are large enough for family members and staff, and the rooms are more quiet and relaxing for patients. The design creates a more centralized work flow for nurses, allowing for more efficient care. The post-operative area is larger to accommodate more patients. The centralized floor plan design helps the staff provide better and more efficient patient care.

The operating rooms also are larger to accommodate equipment and technology needs for now and the future. Bryan has the most modern, state-of-the-art medical equipment, like robotic assisted surgical equipment, imaging machines, minimal invasive surgical equipment and computerized navigation equipment that support exacting surgical care.

This project has delivered all that was expected and more.

The new floor plan creates a better patient care experience.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this and for the opportunity for Bryan health care providers and staff to continue to provide the quality medical care this community has come to expect at Bryan as a legacy for generations to come.

The surgery control desk and satellite pharmacy were finished earlier.

Former Chief of Staff Darla Eisenhauer, MD, Gynecology & Fertility, adds: Over the last three years, the saying, “It is going to get worse before it gets better,” was definitely true in may ways.

Now that the project is complete, the

A dozen new surgery prep/recovery rooms are part of the last phase of the project.

The updated 2nd Floor elevator lobby brings visitors directly to the surgery waiting area.

wayfinding and flow from one area of care to the next has been much easier for patients and their families, but also for the surgical team. With the COVID pandemic we saw a decrease in family members able to visit the hospital. This sometimes created a feeling of emptiness in the hospital and waiting areas. With the new consultation rooms and waiting room set up there’s an improved sense of privacy and space as more visitors have been able to return to the hospital. I really appreciate this when talking with family in the waiting room after a surgery has been completed. It is easier to go into detail about the procedure and outcomes without worrying others might inappropriately hear details.

The operating rooms are now a size that can comfortably fit all the equipment needed for the gynecological procedures I do.

These rooms are designed similarly, which has improved the amount of time it takes to set up for a surgery, the flow during the procedure and finally the clean up of the room to get ready for the next procedure. This has not only improved our efficiency, but it also has improved patient safety.

It’s been wonderful to have the support of the community for this large project. These new surgical areas will improve the care of patients and their families in our community and beyond.

Perioperative and Anesthesia Services Director Julie Smith, RN, sums up the project this way:

Things turned out above expectations! The rooms are spacious, and the layout is much more favorable to new equipment and devices. This also means we’re experiencing shorter scheduling waiting times; flexibility and changes are easier to handle because every room is suited for any case.

Groups support project

Two physician practices in Lincoln and the families of pioneering heart surgeons and a longstanding Board member made major gifts.

In honor of its founding physicians, Associated Anesthesiologists (AAPC) are supporting new pre- and post-surgery care spaces. Because of the anesthesiologists’ work in pre- and post-operative care, contributing to the new units was well-suited for AAPC, says CEO Scott Tinkham.

The group’s founders — anesthesiologists Keay Hachiya, MD; Ralph Paul, MD; and Gerald Spethman, MD — were “hard-working and strove to make their practice in the forefront,” says Dr. Ron Hachiya. “Their influences on those who were able to work side by side with them are being passed on to our younger partners.”

Pathology Medical Services, Boardcertified Lincoln pathologists who provide services at Bryan, also is supporting the Transforming Surgery project.

“This is important to PMS because it will allow for patients to be able to have the best care, comfortable amenities and cutting-edge technologies available in an environment that is close to home and familiar,” says Pamela Rust, the group’s executive director.

Two of the three new cardiothoracic operating suites are named for leaders whose achievements are legendary.

A pioneer in cardiovascular surgery, Dr. Stephen Carveth’s legacy will live on in Bryan’s new cardiothoracic operating suites. During his decades-long cardiology career, he was part of the development of Nebraska’s first coronary care unit, and he was a key leader in the creation of Bryan’s open-heart surgery program.

“The new operating rooms would have made Dad so proud because of the way that Bryan has carried on and elevated excellence in cardiac surgery,” says Carolyn Otte, Dr. Carveth’s daughter.

Another of the cardiothoracic suites is named for Everett and Elaine Evnen and their family.

The Evnen family’s contribution to the new surgical suites is a marker of confidence in and a sign of gratitude toward the physicians, nurses and technicians who will use the spaces, says Richard Evnen, former Bryan Health Board member and former chair of Bryan Medical Center Board of Trustees. His sister, Jayne Merliss, and their late father, Everett, also were Board members.

“Bryan Health has been important to our family on many levels — not limited to just cardiac care,” Richard Evnen says. “Even so, supporting the cardiac surgical suite was a natural fit for our family.” n

To learn how you can support the work of Bryan Health, please contact the Bryan Foundation at 402-481-8605.