St. Louis, MO -- Des Peres Hospital will be opening an expansion to its Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit on Feb. 23. The $3.0 million project adds another 17 medical-surgical beds to the 16-bed unit.

According to Michele C. Meyer, chief executive officer at Des Peres, the unit has been at capacity since it opened in February 2003. “We continue to see a need for this type of unit in the community. The focus of our ACE unit is to help our elderly patients retain their ability to function while in the hospital. We encourage our patients to get out of bed and stay active while they are in the hospital. As much as possible, we try to keep a home-like atmosphere on the unit.”

In addition to keeping patients up and moving, the ACE unit discourages the use of Foley urinary catheters which are a common cause of hospital-acquired infections. The unit’s staff conducts frequent reviews of drugs used on the unit to reduce the number of drugs prescribed to patients and to avoid drug interactions and drug reactions.

“Our goal is to provide quality care for our seniors in a setting that is geared to their specific needs,” says Meyer. Des Peres Hospital works with Saint Louis University’s Department of Geriatrics which provides medical direction for the unit. The unit was developed with teh support of community internists and geriatricians. "Des Peres Hospital has clearly demonstrated its commitment to quality service for the elderly by focusing on the needs of seniors and the expansion of the ACE Unit," said Rajendra Gavini, M.D.

The grand opening of the unit will be held on Feb. 22 from 5-8 p.m. John Morley, M.D., will present a discussion on “Quality Choices in Caring for the Elderly” at 5 p.m. The dedication ceremony for the expanded unit will be at 6:15 p.m. followed by tours and a reception. Reservations for the event can be made by calling 314-966-9108.

Des Peres Hospital is a 167-bed community hospital located at 2345 Dougherty Ferry Road.  Des Peres Hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of St. Louis County for 30 years.  The hospital provides quality medical and surgical care through a wide variety of services and programs, including senior care, heart care, orthopedics and emergency care.  Des Peres Hospital is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association’s Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program.

Des Peres Hospital is part of Tenet Saint Louis, which also includes Saint Louis University Hospital.  To learn more about Des Peres Hospital, visit www.despereshospital.com.