In the 1940s, a group of Baptist leaders set about to fulfill their dream of building a Baptist hospital in Lexington. The idea seemed far-fetched, but ideas born of divine inspiration often are.
Over the next decade the project took shape on a seven and one- half acre site that was then on the outskirts of the city. Funding was a true collective effort from varied sources such as rallies, door to door campaigns, Sunday school collections, and the statewide Baptist association.
Shortly after the Central Baptist Hospital opened on May 1954, its state of the art operation involved 169 employees, 173 general beds, 25 bassinets, 5 operating rooms and 2 delivery rooms, with a total construction cost of $2.6 million.
Almost sixty years later, the hospital- now Baptist Health Lexington- is a 383 bed major medical facility and innovator in the delivery of healthcare to the region. With more than 2,800 employees form Lexington and Central Kentucky, Baptist Health honors the intentions of its forefathers through it mission: to provide quality, compassionate care consistent with our Christian heritage and our commitment to the communities we serve.
Baptist Health Lexington’s history of cardiac care first started when the hospital launched the state’s first coronary care unit in 1967. The hospital continued to blaze an innovative trail by preforming our first cardiac catheterization procedure in 1980 and our first open heart surgery in 1982.
The year 2000 saw the opening of Baptist Health Heart and Vascular Institute, which today encompasses the hospital’s comprehensive cardiac program that meets a broad scope of cardiovascular needs. Major programs and services including the Center for Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Rhythm Disorders, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Advance Heart Failure Center and Heart & Valve Center.
In 2005, Baptist Health Lexington became the first hospital in Central Kentucky to be accredited as a Chest Pain Center by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. The hospital’s current SCPS “with PCI” designation denotes that it meets or exceeds benchmarks for rapid diagnosis of and intervention for acute heart attacks.
Recently, Baptist Health Lexington was the first hospital in Central Kentucky to perform the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure, in which a diseased heart valve is replaced via a catheter as opposed to traditional open- heart valve replacement surgery.
Baptist Health Lexington’s excellent patient care and exceptional quality of cardiac services have received national recognitions and accreditations from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. In 2012 the hospital was the first in Kentucky and one of only twelve in the country to receive SCPC Atrial Fibrillation certification for its program for diagnosing and treating the most common heart arrhythmia.
Leading Bapist Health Lexington’s cardiovascular success is a team of board- certified physicians regularly sought to educate their peers on the latest surgical techniques and the newest technology and devises.
In 2006 the hospital’s cardiac research foundation was established, allowing cardiovascular patients to participate in National research trails for new treatment methods and devices without having to travel long distances to other major medical venues.
When Cancer strikes, many Kentuckians turn to Baptist Health Lexington for its full range of services, including screenings and diagnostic procedures, treatment, clinical research, genetic counseling and testing, education and support.
The hospital has diagnosed and treated cancer patients since its doors opened. It began conducting cancer research in the 1980s and formalized the research program in 1997, allowing patients to take advantage of new drugs or therapies being tested on a national level.
Baptist Health Lexington’s radiation oncology department, added in 1996, treats all cancers responsive to radiation. The hospital was the first in Kentucky to offer CyberKnife, which destroys tumors non-invasively while preserving non- affected normal tissue.
Opened in 2000, the hospital’s Cancer Center offers outpatient infusion, where patients can receive their treatments in a comfortable, safe setting. The multidisciplinary clinic allows patients to see physicians and other health care professionals who collaborate to form comprehensive treatment plans as a team.
Recognized as an area leader in breast care, the hospital began offering all digital breast imaging in 2006 and 3-d digital breast tomosynthesis in 2013, which allows improved detection of subtle signs of cancers. Board- certified radiologists specialize in women’s breast imaging and are dedicated to providing high- quality images and compassionately working with patients.
Patient needs have driven the hospital to develop an outpatient nutrition service, a genetics program fro those who many have hereditary risks of cancer, physical and occupation therapy for cancer survivors, and a palliative care program for those with life- limiting illnesses. Nurse navigators follow cancer patients through surgery and treatment to help educate them and eliminate barriers to care. Several satellite outpatient infusion/clinic offices allow patients to see physicians and receive treatment close to home.
Baptist Health Lexington’s high standards of cancer care have been recognized by te American College of Surgeon’s Commission on Cancer, the National Accreditations Program for Breast Centers, and the American College of Radiology.
The hospital’s Cancer Research Program is a member of the National Surgical Adjuvants Breast and Bowels Project along with other national cooperative groups funded by the National Institutes and regulated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. This allows cancer patients to participate in research studies while remaining in their own community. Baptist Health Lexington coordinated 85 active oncology clinical trials in 2012.
Deemed the region’s “baby hospital”, Baptist Health Lexington delivered it first baby less than two hours after opening in May 1954. Almost 4,000 babies are born at the hospital annually.
Its family- centered approach to maternity care includes a variety of free prenatal classes designed to help expectant parents make informed decisions regarding their birth experience and their newborn’s care.
The hospital’s Prenatal Diagnostic Center is staffed with maternal- fetal medicine physician specialist who care for both high- risk moms and babies before birth. Women who need to be hospitalized during pregnancy benefit from specialized care and monitoring in the hospital’s antepartum unit.
Laborist, board- certified obstetricians, are available to support the care of mothers in Labor Hall and will supervise the delivery if requested by the patient’s physician. Moms can labor, deliver and recover in one room. In- hospital obstetrical anesthesiologists are available at all times to provide medication and support for pain relief to laboring moms.
After the birth, parents can appreciate those precious first house in private Mother- Baby Room, complete with Tempur-Pedic mattresses, flat- screen televisions and computers, and recliner/sleepers for spouses. Larger rooms have double beds.
Babies are allowed to stay in mom’s room from delivery to discharge in order to encourage bonding. High- risk infants are nurtured by specially trained nurses and board- certified neonatologist in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which provides high acuity care such as treatment for respiratory distress including ventilators, cardiac/ apnea monitoring, specialized care for the smallest babies and parent education concerning after care.
The hospital provides comprehensive care throughout a women’s life including wellness services, breast care and imaging, minimally invasive surgical procedures, plastic and reconstructive surgery, orthopedic surgery and medical care for women with gynecological problems and cardiac disease. A state- of-the-art women’s center currently under construction promises the same superior care in a beautiful environment for many years to come.
Baptist Health Lexington responded to the emerging trend toward outpatient care by opening the Baptist Physicians Surgery Center in 2000 and the hospitals first outpatient diagnostic center on Southland Drive in 2004. The hospital has since added four additional off- campus diagnostic centers offering screenings such as CT and PET scans, MRIs, all-digital mammograms, ultrasounds and X- rays.
The hospital ‘s services also have been enhanced by several primary care and multispecialty physician groups practices through Baptist Physicians Lexington, which also operates Baptist Express Care Clinics in eight area Walmart stores. These clinics offer fast, affordable basic healthcare on a walk-in basis.
Baptist Health Lexington works to provide a coordinated, patient centered continuum of care with Baptist Health Richmond and Baptist Health Corbin, and with Russell County Hospital, a critical access facility in Russell Springs.
Throughout its history Baptist Health Lexington has been dedicated to providing the latest technological advances. In 2008, the hospital acquired the da Vinci Surgical System; a robotic system that enable highly magnified visualization and greater precision for surgeons who operate using small incisions.
In 2011, Baptist Health Lexington was the first hospital in Kentucky to offer Pipeline Embolization Device, a stent-like device for those suffering brain aneurysms. IN 2012, the hospital was the first in the county to implant the Unify Quadra cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator and Quartet Left Ventricular Quadripolar Pacing Lead, which helps to manage individualized needs for heart failure patients.
Nurses are the key to Baptist Health Lexington’s Commitment to providing excellent patient care. The hospital was the first non- teaching healthcare facility in Kentucky to be awarded Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2005 and was designated in 2010. The most widely accepted gold standard for patient care, Magnet designation signifies that nurses’ exhibit elevated standards in their profession.
Baptist Health Lexington has distinguished itself with state and national recognitions throughout its history. The Kentucky Hospital Association recognized the hospital with its top quality award honors in 2007 and 2009. In 2011, Baptist Health Lexington was the only hospital in Kentucky to be named one the nation’s Top Preforming hospitals in four key quality measures by the Joint Commission, a recognition it received again in 2012. The hospital also is the only large- sized employer in the state to have placed in the Best Places to Work in Kentucky’s program’s To 20 every year of the program’s existence.
The hospital gives back to the community in a myriad of ways including participation in health education events, providing healthcare to underserved and uninsured students in three local school, and sponsoring or participating in many fundraising events for charitable organizations. The hospital’s signature gift to the community, A Midsummer Night’s Run, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2009 and regularly attracts 4,000 to 6,000 participants each years.
Baptist Health Lexington had a proud Christian heritage and an impressive present day, offering patients cutting-edge treatments delivered with compassionate care. With $200 million expansion to its Nicholasville Road campus, Baptist Health Lexington is well-positioned to continue to meet the ever- changing healthcare needs of Central and Eastern Kentuckians long into the future.
