The Healthcare Co. Earl Swensson Associates Inc. in Nashville has been tapped for the early designs. Plaza will house much of the cardiac offerings in its former obstetrics unit. The hospital stopped delivering babies in June. Plaza's increased emphasis on cardiac care mirrors that of other hospitals.
Cardiovascular care is a profitable niche for hospitals.
Medical technology is improving at the same time heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Last month, Plaza became the first Tarrant County hospital to offer cardiac brachytheraphy, a procedure that keeps arteries from narrowing after angioplasty. With the Metroplex's growing population and the aging of baby boomers, more hospitals will focus on cardiovascular care, said Dr. Todd Dewey, a cardiac surgeon and a researcher at Cardiopulmonary Research Science and Technology Institute in Dallas. There is nothing that they have in New York that we don't have. Plaza's plans also call for the emergency department to be renovated and expanded to 23 treatment areas from 12.