State-of-the-Art Plaza West Tower Opens to Patients

The recently opened Plaza West Tower at Barnes-Jewish Hospital brings together the expertise of multidisciplinary teams, and the building itself is a master class in how design and function come together to improve the experience of patients and families.

Thoughtful Spaces To Promote Healing

Patients, families, doctors, nurses, and other staff members provided invaluable design input for the state-of-the-art Plaza West Tower. It’s evident that patients and families are at the heart of every design choice of the beautiful, innovative building overlooking Forest Park.

Design at the Plaza West Tower focuses on supporting patients in a calming environment that reduces stress to allow recovery. Understanding that nature plays a critical role in healing, the design team incorporated a botanical theme throughout the interior of the tower. Colors that convey warmth and joy, optimism, healing, nurturing, serenity, and calm were chosen.

Rooms also include intentional, comfortable seating and sleep options that keep loved ones close. Guests can visit the floor’s “lantern” room to see panoramic views of Forest Park. For a breath of fresh air, a visit to the rooftop garden brings feelings of peace. There’s also a family lounge with a business center, kitchenette, quiet rooms, and a laundry facility.

Throughout their experiences, patients and their loved ones will feel at ease knowing each floor includes a central information desk staffed by a helpful team member to answer questions and guide visitors. Each entryway to the Plaza West Tower is beautifully identified by a suspended glass sculpture that serves as a colorful landmark making wayfinding easy.

Innovative Design

Behind the scenes, small structural changes make an impact on the care experience.

A helicopter pad, operating room, and cardiac catheterization lab are all connected to the new tower by a bridge to allow quick, efficient access to the intensive care unit (ICU). Oversized elevators were designed within the tower to accommodate patients needing even the most complex, large-scale equipment. In addition, a satellite pharmacy is located inside the tower for quick access.

New spaces for surgical preparation and recovery, a cardiac ICU, and radiology increase efficiencies in care while also promoting a positive, healing environment that improves patient experiences and outcomes. The private rooms can be quickly converted to ICU rooms, and air flow can be adjusted for patients needing respiratory isolation—a design choice influenced by the 2020 pandemic, which put a critical demand on ICU space.

The technological advances and thoughtfulness continue into every patient room. Each single-patient room is equipped with advanced patient-focused technology to support education, virtual consults, and teaching. Telemonitoring capabilities allow the team to continuously monitor patients without the need for them to enter the room as frequently. This means less disruption to patients and families.

A New Home for Extraordinary Heart Care

Barnes-Jewish Hospital is a national leader on the forefront of heart and vascular care. Now, this heart care is centralized in a modern facility that aligns with the innovative care provided to patients.

The 16-story tower consolidates the WashU and Barnes-Jewish Heart and Vascular Center inpatient beds and ICU to create greater collaboration among specialists and easier wayfinding for patients and families.

Patients have centralized access to MRI, CT scans, ultrasound, interventional radiology, X-ray equipment, and more— without needing to travel to another building for testing.

“The Plaza West Tower is now home to a highly integrated, multidisciplinary program in heart and vascular medicine that builds on a history of excellence and puts us at the forefront of innovation,” says Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD, WashU Medicine division director of cardiothoracic surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. “It’s a new era in the Barnes-Jewish Hospital story.”

“In the past, surgeons and cardiologists often worked separately, but over the past decade, we’ve created a new environment to work together as a team. My new role as division director, combined with the new Plaza West Tower and infrastructure, creates a huge opportunity to build an even stronger heart team with cardiologists and cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons. In one place, we’re bringing together an expert team with diverse, advanced skills who collaborate to provide the best care strategies for patients with the most complex heart conditions.”

Dr. Kaneko is most excited about how the new Plaza West Tower now reflects the innovative, leading-edge care that takes place inside.

“The tower is the gateway to excellent heart care,” Dr. Kaneko says. “The rooms are spacious with fantastic views, and patients generally will have single rooms where family members can stay with them. Those are things patients will notice right away. We now have a modern facility that aligns with the innovative care we provide patients.”

“It’s exciting to plan for all the things we’ll be able to achieve in this new setting with donor support,” Dr. Kaneko adds. “Philanthropy is essential to continue this critical innovation and discovery that transforms patient care.”