UK King's Daughters

King's Daughters' Hospital opened in 1897 as a three-room emergency hospital over the Poage, Elliott and Poage Drug Store on Winchester Avenue near 16th Street.[4] In 1899, the hospital itself was founded by the What-so-ever Circle of the International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons and moved to a seven-room building at 18th Street and Greenup Avenue. Ten years later, the hospital moved again to a nine-room building between 20th and 21st Street along Winchester Avenue.

In 1915, the hospital purchased property at the northeast corner of 22nd Street and Lexington Avenue.[4] Two years later in November, it opened a new 50-bed facility in a two-story brick structure. An expansion in 1930–31 added an east wing, which was expanded again in 1945 and 1953, all to the east.[4]

In 1958, that building closed and a new administration building was completed across Lexington Avenue and the remainder of the hospital.[5]

In 1963, the hospital began to study plans for a specialized Coronary Care Unit.[6] The hospital expanded in 1965 with a northern extension.[5] In 1967, a 24-hour emergency department was established. One year later, the Coronary Care Unit opens with four private patient rooms and a ten-bed Intensive Care Unit.

The main entrance to King's Daughters, as it looked in the mid-1950s.

In 1968, the hospital expanded upon the 1953 extension with a two-story structure;[5] this was expanded upward with an additional two levels in 1984. With the extension, the hospital now stretched from 22nd Street to 23rd Street. One year after the hospital was expanded upon, the Ashland Medical Arts Building was completed in 1969 at the corner of Lexington Avenue and 23rd Street.[5]

In 1972, a new emergency department was completed.[3] Six years later, the Cardiac Step Down Unit and Cardiac Rehabilitation opened, followed by the Echocardiology Department in 1981 and the Diabetes Clinic in the following year.

The hospital expanded northward again in 1984 to Montgomery Avenue.[5] In 1986, a new 16-bed Intensive Care Unit was completed, followed by the opening of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab one year later. The Cardiac Lab was expanded in 1993 and again in 1994 with the addition of a second laboratory.

In 1985, the Tri-State Regional Cancer Center opened adjacent to the Medical Arts Building.[5] In 1988, a new facade and lobby with atrium was completed along Lexington Avenue; the new lobby was constructed within the 1953 addition.[5] During this year, the original 1917 hospital structure was demolished in favor of the Tri-State Diagnostics center.

In 1990, a four level parking structure was completed along Lexington Avenue.[5] A medical library and health education center was completed in the lower level of the parking garage in 1992. Three years later, a new 22-bed emergency department was completed along 23rd Street.[3] Three years later, a third Cardiac Lab and a 24-bed Cardiac Surgery Unit was opened.

The $32 million Center for Advanced Care, now known as the Parkview Patient Tower 1, was completed in November 2000.[3][5] It features a 24-bed Intensive Care Unit, 3 Cardiac Cath Labs bringing the total to five, a Cardiac Cath Lab pre-op and recovery areas, three dedicated Cardiothoracic surgery operating suites, a nine-bed Cardiovascular Recovery Unit, and a rooftop helipad. The Vascular/endovascular program was initiated at this time, the Cardiac Alert Unit was installed in the former Intensive Care Unit and the emergency department expanded to 45 beds. Three years later, Cardiac Alert Unit became a 10-bed Chest Pain Unit, expanding to 18-beds in 2005.

Medical Plaza A, opened in 1998, and was originally constructed as a three-story building providing room for physician offices, a Wendy's fast-food restaurant, a National City Bank (now City National Bank) branch and a cafe. It was expanded in 2002 to five stories, and in 2003 the Outpatient Surgery Center opened on the building's third floor.

In 2000, a new five-story structure was completed along 23rd Street that provided new patient rooms, surgery facilities and Intensive Care Unit.[7] The Parkview Patient Tower 1 features the hospital's new main entrance and the Parkview Cafe.

The 526-space parking structure at the corner of 23rd Street and Bath Avenue was completed and opened on March 22, 2005.[8] The $5.5 million five-story facility can be utilized by patients, visitors, physicians and employees.

In the summer of 2005, the $2.3 million [9] 12,000 sq ft (1,100 m²). Hospitality House at King's Daughters opened at the corner of 22nd Street and Central Avenue. Providing 13 guest rooms, a kitchen, dining area, living space and a reception area for those that are from out-of-town. It is styled to resemble a contemporary house and is adjacent to the northeast corner of Central Park. It celebrated its 1,000th family on February 6, 2007.

On May 3, 2005, Medical Plaza B, a four-story, 77,000 sq ft (7,200 m²). facility that houses 14 physician offices, the Surgical Weight Loss Center and a pharmacy opened.[2][8] It is connected via a sky bridge to the 23rd Street Parking Garage.

On May 8, 2006, a new $60 million [10] 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m²).,[6] five-story Heart and Vascular Center, now known as Parkview Patient Tower 2, opened along 23rd Street.[2] Envisioned as a three-story $43.5 million facility,[11] a rising demand in services relating to cardiac and heart care necessitated the expansion of the hospital while it was under construction. It features a "cardiac rehabilitation unit, a therapy pool, administrative offices, admitting and pre-admission testing areas, a chest pain unit, patient rooms for stress testing, outpatient diagnostic testing and procedures, cardiac catheterization laboratories and vascular surgery suites and beds."

On June 5, 2006, a new $2.3 million [11] two-story 18,000 sq ft (1,700 m²). Center for Advanced Imaging opened along Central Avenue adjacent to the Hospitality House at a cost of $13.3 million.[12] Construction began in October 2005 and was designed to free up space in the existing hospital complex for inpatient and emergency radiology. The center is home to outpatient radiology, MRI, CT scans, mammograms, ultrasounds and X-rays; part of the second floor is dedicated to breast care. The completion of the Outpatient Imaging Center was the last component of a four-building, $70 million expansion that was announced in 2004.[12]

The hospital also features an Outpatient Services Center on 23rd Street, where audiology services, physical, occupational and speech therapy is offered.[7]

On January 29, 2021, the hospital and the University of Kentucky announced a "significant partnership" between King's Daughters and UK HealthCare. As part of this agreement, a new governing board with equal representation from both organizations was formed. King's Daughters then-President and CEO Kristi Whitlatch remained in that role but will also became a member of UK HealthCare's management team.[23] The partnership, which includes access to UK HealthCare's pediatric cardiology and pharmacy program as well as expanded access to the Markey Cancer Center and training opportunities within King's Daughters for University of Kentucky College of Medicine students, officially went into force on April 1, 2021.[24] In October 2022, the hospital and university announced plans for the university to acquire King's Daughters outright. The acquisition was finalized on December 1, 2022, with King's Daughters becoming a part of the University of Kentucky that day.[25][26]