The new WellSpan Heart & Vascular Center will build healthy hearts in York County by providing patients with state-of-the-art cardiovascular care as well as programs that promote healthy eating and exercise, all from the same campus.
The $33 million, two-story center, opening May 3 on South George Street, houses WellSpan Cardiology, WellSpan Cardiac Surgery and WellSpan Vascular Surgery. It also houses supporting outpatient cardiovascular services including the WellSpan Heart Failure Program and non-invasive procedures such as echocardiograms, electrocardiograms and vascular ultrasound. The new center also will offer a cardiac rehabilitation program, housed in a roomy, bright gymnasium with large windows that look out on the campus.
In addition to providing care, the center will teach patients how to live a heart-healthy lifestyle. It features a demonstration kitchen for cooking classes supplied by fresh produce grown in a rooftop garden. Patients also can exercise on a rooftop track and on a walking trail that winds through the campus.
They also can shop for fresh seasonal foods on the campus, at the J-Mar Farms stand on Monument Road, to the rear of the center. Produce from the stand will be featured in the demonstration kitchen and in meals served at the center’s Healthy Heart Café.
“WellSpan is making cardiovascular health a priority in southcentral Pennsylvania, by providing a modern center where our highly skilled teams can work collaboratively. We know how important this care is for building healthy communities,” said Christopher Lipp, Vice President of Heart and Vascular Services at WellSpan Health.
Even in the midst of a global pandemic, heart disease remains the leading killer in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In York County, about a third of residents report having high cholesterol and about 40 percent report having high blood pressure, according to the most recent community health assessment.
Also, only about 3 to 4 percent of those residents eat three servings of vegetables daily and only between 15 and 20 percent of residents engage in a half-hour of exercise five days of the week.
“Our new center not only provides our patients with state-of-the-art care, it also equips them with the tools to go beyond our walls and live their best lives,” said Dr. James Harvey of WellSpan Cardiology, York.
The new WellSpan Heart & Vascular Center, which is adjacent to the WellSpan Apple Hill campus, seeks to offer patients a warm, welcoming experience, with minimal wait times.
The building enters onto an atrium lobby featuring a two-story wooden wall with the outline of a large tree, designed to bring the feeling of nature inside the center. Patients can check in at a kiosk in the lobby, where WellSpan registration team members also can assist them with the process.
On the first floor, the lobby connects to color-coded and lettered hallways, each housing different specialties. At the entry to every hallway, patients will see a digital sign, which will display the names of on-duty providers and a short bio about them. The hallways also feature local artwork and murals designed to provide a relaxing, nature-filled atmosphere.
The first floor also houses the Heart Healthy Café offering breakfast and lunch items, such as overnight oats, a Southwestern flatbread and a Green Goddess salad, among others.
The second floor houses the cardiac rehabilitation gym, where patients can look out large windows as they exercise on treadmills and stationary bicycles. Just outside the gym, they can access the rooftop exercise track that encircles the rooftop garden. The second floor also houses noninvasive cardiology services, where patients will undergo echocardiograms, stress testing and electrocardiograms.
