Franciscan St. Margaret Health Cardiovascular Unit Renovated

Staff members attended an intimate blessing and dedication ceremony for the recently renovated Cardiovascular Unit at Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Dyer.

The ceremony took place May 16, 2012, the same day as the Feast of St. Margaret of Cortona, the hospital’s patron saint.

“May she be your patron, interceding in your work,” the Rev. Henry Sequeira, the ceremony’s celebrant, told employees.

The Same Day Surgery department formerly occupied the unit until it outgrew the space. During the six months the unit was being renovated, CVU staff and patients merged with the intensive care unit.

“Our patients needed to be out of the ICU because of restrictions with space and visitation,” said Erin Keith, unit manager. “The new CVU is a more controlled environment.”

It also contains new medical equipment ideal for ambulatory patients.

Tom Gryzbek, hospital president, said the move “enables us to continue to provide for patients in Dyer. It is a reflection of the excellent staff and physicians on this unit.”

Gryzbek added that the Dyer facility “is growing by leaps and bounds.”

Keith, who describes the CVU as “like home,” commended her staff for showing patience and compassion, as well as expertise.

“Our nurses are some of the most caring, respectful, educated, smart nurses,” she said. “They treat patients as an extension of their own family.”

Photo: The Rev. Henry Sequeira blesses the Cardiovascular Unit at Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Dyer.