Area hospitals continue to keep up with changing technology and the growing needs of patients.
Cabell Huntington Hospital, St. Mary's Medical Center and King's Daughters Medical Center all have experienced a number of changes in recent months.
Together, they form the leading providers of health care in the region, having a combined 64,000 inpatient admissions in 2007.
The three institutions also are among the leading employers in the region, with combined employment of about 8,300 people.
Here is a rundown of major developments at the three institutions in the past year:
Cabell Huntington Hospital
Cabell Huntington's North Patient Tower opened in November and offers many new services, according to spokesman Charles Shumaker. The two-year project cost $85 million.
The tower includes an inpatient oncology unit with 18 private rooms, as well as a 36-bed neonatal intensive care unit.
Ashlee Garret of Hurricane, W.Va., recently spent time in the NICU following the birth of her daughter in January. She spent time in both the old and new areas.
"The old one was overcrowded," she said. "In the newer one, you get your own private room."
Garrett said the new NICU was more accommodating for families, and the staff was very helpful.
Also new in the tower are the 38-bed post-surgical nursing unit, 18-bed labor, delivery and recovery unit for expecting mothers, five LDR triage rooms and a 38-bed intensive care unit for adults and infants.
CHH also recently added its 11th operating room.
In 2008, renovations to areas vacated by the move-in to the North Patient Tower will be ongoing, Shumaker said. Construction will add private rooms to several areas of the hospital, including the Mother Baby Unit.
St. Mary's Medical Center
At St. Mary's Medical Center, a new 34-bed intensive care unit costing $19 million opened in January, according to Doug Korstanje, director of marketing and community relations.
The ICU moved from the third to second floor, and new areas were built, Korstanje said.
He said open heart surgery recovery patients are now part of cardiovascular intensive care, and there is also the neurotrauma ICU and medical ICU.
Sharon Shaw, manager of public relations, said the nurses' stations in the ICU are another recent improvement. The stations are "traffic-friendly" with inset desks, and allow nurses to be at their computer and observe two rooms from one location.
Also in the last year, the noninvasive radiosurgical device known as CyberKnife has seen success at St. Mary's.
Approximately 50 patients experienced the new technology in its first six months at the hospital, he said.
Construction on a new, 510-space parking garage was scheduled to begin last week at St. Mary's, and the project is scheduled to be completed in October.
St. Mary's is also working toward its new Center for Education, which will eventually host the schools of nursing, imaging and respiratory care as well as a conference center and medical offices, Korstanje said.
King's Daughters Medical Center
King's Daughters also has acquired new technology in the last year, including the da Vinci robotic surgery system, which has applications for prostate, OB and heart, according to Michael Reeves, formerly of the marketing department.
The robotic-assisted surgery system allows physicians to perform a variety of procedures using minimally invasive techniques.
Reeves said many great things also are happening at the Kentucky Heart Institute, created by the medical center in 2007.
Many of the institute's research projects are having a significant impact on cardiac health locally and throughout the United States, Reeves said.
In recent months King's Daughters also has been recognized as a top 100 cardiac hospital for the second consecutive year, received the five-star heart surgery award, the National Foster McGraw Prize for community service excellence and was named a Fortune Top 100 Company to Work For.
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