Barnes-Jewish Hospital opens new wing to test new care models

On the 11th floor of Barnes-Jewish Hospital, a bold experiment in patient care is underway. A new 21-bed unit, focused on treating neurological patients, is serving as a way to test different methods of providing care and preparing patients for their return home. Hospital officials even created a special hiring process for the unit, which opened on Jan. 18, with the goal of building a nursing team that could develop innovative approaches for the entire BJC HealthCare system. This new neuroscience unit at Barnes-Jewish reflects part of a bigger change in the medical industry, experts say, as hospitals quickly move to adapt to a world in which payments are tied to the quality of care provided.