The Jewel & Jim Plumb Heart Center at Mercy readies to open for patient care
The new Jewel & Jim Plumb Heart Center at Mercy is scheduled to open for patient care on July 17. For those interested in a sneak preview of the new Center, the public is invited to an open house at 3 p.m. on Wed., July 12.
Located just across Eighth Avenue SE from the main hospital in downtown Cedar Rapids, the 72,000-square-foot facility is designed to be Linn County’s largest and most comprehensive heart facility, offering integrated, patient-centered care and state-of-the-art technology. As such, it will bring heart specialists and coordinated heart services all under one roof and within a single center as Mercy continues to grow and develop the area’s leading heart program.
Additionally, the Plumb Heart Center will feature patient conveniences along the continuum of care – from prevention and screening to diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. The Center will also include an increasing number of heart-focused specialty clinics designed to provide education, ongoing assessments, and individual care plans, including clinics for heart failure, atrial fibrillation, heart valve disorders and more.
Hospital leaders and providers say patients can expect unmatched coordination of care between cardiology specialists, including interventional cardiology; electrophysiology; cardiac and vascular surgery; cardio-oncology; pediatric cardiology; and diagnostic teams.
A central feature of the ground level will be a large walking track specifically designed for cardiac rehab to help patients transition back from medical and surgical intervention to full daily living. The track transitions directly from indoors to an outdoor walking space and allows staff the capability to continually monitor rehab patients even as they go outside of the building. Plus, secondary oxygen sources are tucked thoughtfully into the area’s ceiling space providing immediate access, if needed.
Furthermore, at 281 feet long, the skywalk that crosses Eighth Avenue SE from the Plumb Heart Center to the main hospital is the largest skywalk in Eastern Iowa. It offers staff the ability to transfer patients quickly and conveniently to and from the Heart Center and Mercy’s Emergency Room or other areas of the hospital, as needed.
Notably, the Heart Center was carefully and thoughtfully designed with many “soft” features for patient and family care and comfort. Some of those include:
- A Peace Room that will provide a calming space for patients and families to relax, pray and reflect. It features custom-made, stained-glass windows created by a local artist that pull design features and symbolism from the rest of the building
- Sub-waiting areas throughout the facility that help with patient flow and provide increased privacy
- A full-service café which will offer coffee and food items to patients and staff throughout the day
- Outdoor green space that allows patients, families, and staff a natural environment to rest and recharge. The area also includes bike racks and space for food trucks.
- A large, ground-level conference room designed to offer flexible space for classroom-style educational opportunities, as well as a bright, naturally lit space for meetings and community gatherings
- Modern, comfortable furnishings and artwork. A main-floor focal point is a 99-foot-long, custom wall covering that mirrors the stained glass in Mercy’s main chapel (located in the hospital). The mural’s colors reflect the changing cycles of life and daylight, from brilliant yellows and oranges to dark blues and violets.
Designed for vertical expansion, Mercy leaders said the facility could be further developed with the addition of electrophysiology, cardiac catheterization labs and surgical suites, which are currently available within the main hospital.
Since its inception, Mercy has experienced tremendous growth in its heart program, which now treats more patients in Linn County for heart care than any other hospital. In fact, Mercy is the only hospital in Cedar Rapids that is currently ranked as a Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospital by PINC AI™.
Funding for the facility was made possible through a generous estate gift from the late Jewel and Jim Plumb of Cedar Rapids. Their gift was one of the largest donations in the hospital’s 123-year-history, $23 million of which was dedicated to the naming and development of the new Plumb Heart Center.
Ryan Companies US, Inc. designed and built the Plumb Heart Center. Ryan and Mercy Cedar Rapids have worked together on dozens of projects throughout the course of more than 25 years. Construction on the project began in Sept. 2021.
