Date:	Jan. 26, 2007
Contact:	Ellen Averill, OSU Center for Health Sciences (918) 561-8215

OSU Medical Authority Approves $10.6 Million in Medical Center Improvements

TULSA, Okla. – The Oklahoma State Medical Authority on Thursday approved $10.6 million in phase I capital improvement projects for OSU Center for Health Sciences’ teaching hospital, OSU Medical Center. The projects, scheduled for completion by July 2008, include enhancements and/or expansions to residency program space, Labor & Delivery/NICU, and operating rooms, and the emergency department.

Funding for the projects will come from the $40 million appropriation approved in 2006 by the state legislature. The medical authority expects to review phase II projects in summer 2007.

“This action represents an important milestone, as the medical authority works to ensure the state realizes a solid return on its investment in local graduate medical education,” said David Johnson, medical authority chairman. “These critical projects will improve OSU’s ability to recruit quality physicians as well as educators to its residency programs, while improving healthcare delivery for patients, many of whom come from medically under-served areas of the state.” 

Said Dr. John Fernandes, president of OSU Center for Health Sciences and dean of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, “The support from our legislators and community has been remarkable. These improvement projects for our residency programs will directly and positively impact the number and quality of physicians serving Oklahoma patients.”

OSU Center for Health Sciences in May 2005 signed a 50-year academic affiliation agreement with then Tulsa Regional Medical Center, owned by Ardent Health Services. Under terms of the agreement, Ardent would continue to own and operate the hospital under the OSU Medical Center name.

The legislature appropriated $40 million toward hospital improvements made to directly benefit OSU’s graduate medical education programs. The OSU Medical Authority is the body responsible for approving expenditures related to the $40 million state appropriation. 

Specific projects include:

Residency Commons, Classroom, Sleep room and Administration Space
Budget – $1 million
This project will convert non-clinical space into centralized classrooms, administration, sleep rooms and common areas to create settings to allow students, interns and residents to participate in an environment more conducive to didactic lectures and education.

• Provide modern technology and an efficient facility to enhance the resident training experience.
• Relocate residency administration space to allow for expansion of staff.
• Create 22 centralized sleep rooms and accompanying lounge and kitchen space for the residents.
• Create 3 new classrooms for educational use in the new area and existing library.

Labor & Delivery and NICU Renovation & Expansion
Budget – $3.5 million
This project will completely rebuild the Labor & Delivery and NICU, increasing bed capacity to 10 labor rooms, 2 triage rooms, 2 c-section suites, and approximately 26 post-partum rooms.  The NICU will be built to accommodate 16 infants.

First phase activities – complete architectural drawings for new units, begin construction, and begin selected replacement of needed equipment that would be able to be transferred into new unit.

Operating Room Build-Out & Expansion
Budget – $6 million
This project will combine and rebuild the In-Patient & Out-Patient operating suites. Pending final architectural review, 10-12 suites will be built to accommodate current and planned caseload.

First phase activities – complete architectural drawings for new operating suites, begin construction of new suites, and begin selected replacement of needed equipment that would be able to be transferred into new suites. Additionally, office space in the POB would be built-out to accommodate newly recruited faculty.

Emergency Department Flow Optimization
Budget – $100,000
This project will make minor renovations to the existing triage, fast-track and registration areas to optimize the patient flow through the department.

About OSU Medical Authority
The Oklahoma State University Medical Authority is charged with executing the terms of the 50-year academic affiliation agreement between OSU Center for Health Sciences and OSU Medical Center, formerly Tulsa Regional Medical Center. The agreement benefits OSU’s graduate medical education programs at OSU Medical Center. The hospital is owned and operated by Ardent Health Services, a Tennessee-based company.

About OSU Center for Health Sciences
Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa offers programs in osteopathic medicine, biomedical sciences and forensic sciences. The OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine has been nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top medical schools in the nation for the past six years.