Tanya Sutton: There is excitement in the air
Dr. Karpf: It will be second to none
Amelia : It really makes me excited
Dr. Boulanger: Something that they’ve never seen before
Congressman Chandler: It’s of the utmost importance
Dr. Karpf: This hospital and this complex belong to the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Chandler:
The University of Kentucky always had a particularly important place in my grandfather’s heart. This hospital and the creation of a medical center here at the University of Kentucky really was the crowning achievement of his career. It really took a lot of, frankly, political courage and political capital to get it done. He was extremely passionate about the people of Kentucky. I heard him say many, many times that the most important thing that a public servant could do is to contribute to the health and welfare of his or her people. This is one of the prime examples, if there ever was one, of contributing to the health and welfare of your people. And that’s why he was so very, very proud of his role in establishing this institution at his beloved university.

Karpf:
We are building an academic medical center that will be second to none in the country, second to none to any facility in the world. We will assure that the folks in Kentucky have access to the very best of care. You have to have a vision that takes you for twenty or thirty years. We will have a building that is absolutely first rate in its technical capabilities. It is critically important to develop an environment that is humanizing, that is comfortable. I want people to be able to sit down for a few minutes and relax in a very difficult time in their lives. So we wanted to have greenspaces to remind them of the beauty of Kentucky. We want to have art that can bring a smile to their face and they can relate to, and the community can say, “Gee, that place has a warm sense to it. It’s a place where, I don’t want to be in a hospital, but that hospital knows how to treat me.”


Tanya:
There has been a lot of thought in the planning and designing of our new hospital. The new areas include a revamped emergency deparment that will include both a pediatric emergency room as well as an adult emergency room. In the pediatric emergency room, there will be an interactive sand table and a television that is provided specifically for the children, with children’s programming. The new rooms are designed to make the experience here at the UK Chandler Hospital more pleasant for patients and their families. Outside of the patient room is a work station. It gives the healthcare professional an opportunity to be outside of the patient’s room but still not far away. And also in our acute care rooms there will be a small sofa so that a family member can stay with their loved one while they are in the hospital.

Dr. Boulanger:
The new facility will be state of the art. Whatever is new in technology will be present when it’s built. There have been a lot of safety measures built into the new hospital. The issue of patient privacty is important and has been considered heavily in the design of the new hopsital. Patients when they come to the facility shoudn’t have any concerns. In fact, they should see something that they’ve never seen before. It’s built with them in mind, with their families in mind.

Amelia:
As a patient, my family was essential, I think, to my recovery. The doctors and nurses were wonderful, and helped me during the covery, but also you need the emotitonal support of your family. And just having all of my family and friends there to be my big cheerleaders and to help me along I think helped me tremendously recovering and to leave the hospital even sooner. I’m really excited about the outdoor area, kind of getting away from it for just a few minutes, being able to go to the chapel, to go outside and enjoy each other and just truly focus on the patient, I think will be helpful.

Tanya:
I feel it’s a place where people will receive the greatest care.

Amelia:
I feel very fortunate to be treated by UK because of the opportunities of this new facility.

Karpf:
Kentuckians will be able to feel comfortable that they can be taken care of in the very best way, as good as anyplace else in this country. This is a gem.