The first two procedures were completed Tuesday in OU Medical Center’s new, $20 million-laboratory following 10 years of construction.
Simple procedures that can quickly turn critical will be done in the 20,000-square-foot facility, which houses cardiovascular and electrophysiology technology.
Scott Coppenbarger, director of public relations at OU Medical Center, said pulling these two disciplines of medicine together in one laboratory will enable safer and faster care for patients.
“Our business is saving lives, and this facility is the total package,” Coppenbarger said.
With a combination of experienced professionals and state-of-the-art equipment, the lab will also provide a place for OU medical students to observe and learn in an updated environment, Coppenbarger said.
“We are a teaching hospital,” Coppenbarger said. “Students in every aspect of our facility will be exposed to the new facility for an opportunity to learn.”
Coppenbarger said this is not just a place where complex surgeries can be completed and students can learn, but a place where lives will be saved.
The advanced equipment will ensure patient safety with lower doses of x-rays delivered and clear, detailed results, according to a press release.
What sets this lab apart from others, Coppenbarger said, is the ability and equipment they have to break into a full open-heart surgery without having to move the patient.
“We expect to make full use of it,” Coppenbarger said.
The majority of the facility’s funding came from the Hospital Corporation of America, OU Medical Center’s parent company.
