When it comes to your heart, make certain it’s in the right place.
Posted on 7/17/2002
St. Alexius Medical Center is the only North Dakota hospital identified as having one of the best cardiovascular (heart)
programs in America. Solucient, an independent research firm, selected the Medical Center as a 2001 award winner in a national study, “Top 100 Hospitals: Cardiovascular Benchmarks for
Success.”
“St. Alexius Medical Center was chosen to be one of the Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospitals because of outstanding care and excellent results for cardiac patients,” says Dewey
Schlittenhard, director of Ancillary Services at St. Alexius. “If peer hospitals would have similar results to the Top 100 Hospitals, length of stay for cardiac patients would drop by half a day, deaths from cardiac procedures would decrease 23 percent, post-operative bleeding would drop by 16 percent, post-operative death rates would drop 30 percent and the infection rate after surgery would decrease by 21 percent.”
Cardiovascular services at St. Alexius Medical Center have been provided for the past 25 years through a team effort by the physicians and staff of the Heart & Lung Clinic and St. Alexius
Medical Center.
“It’s extremely important to have physician input as we expand our program,” he says. “They are directly involved with patients during every aspect of their care.”
The Heart & Lung Clinic’s six board-certified cardiologists have more than 100 years of combined experience; the three board-certified heart surgeons represent a combination of more than 30 years experience. “Our combined expertise has provided us with a solid foundation for providing quality care to patients with coronary artery disease and diseases of the heart,” explains Dr. John Windsor, cardiologist with the Heart & Lung Clinic.
Patients with chest pain coming to the Emergency & Trauma Center can rely upon physicians who are all board certified in emergency medicine. “These physicians are all dedicated to the prompt diagnosis of heart disease,” he says.
An Investment in Service
Based on the aging of our state’s population and lifestyle factors, there will be an eight to nine percent increase in the number of heart patients in the next few years. In fact, cardiac
services will grow 40 to 50 percent faster than other disease types. This reinforces the dedicated effort by St. Alexius to
continue to review and improve our cardiac programs to address the needs of the communities we serve.
“To respond to patient needs, we have invested in state-of-the-art equipment, provided regular staff training and
monitored patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes to maintain a successful program,” Schlittenhard says. “I believe St. Alexius, working with the Heart and Lung Clinic, offers that commitment to treat the heart of North Dakota.”
A Commitment to Technology
The commitment to technology is evidenced by the development of two technologically advanced cardiac catheterization labs
conveniently located on the main floor of the Medical Center, as well as echocardiography and exercise testing (stress) systems at
the Heart & Lung Clinic.
A Focus on Patient Care
“It’s very important to review the complete range of services we provide to include all physician visits, all hospital services and the complete rehabilitation program beyond the hospital
visit,” Schlittenhard says.
“We at the Heart & Lung Clinic and St. Alexius Medical Center treat patients as people with diseases and not as disease processes,” Dr. Windsor says. “Not only do we take care of cardiac
needs, we also address other needs as they arise. By doing this we’re able to provide the broad breadth of care and ensure patients have a positive experience.”
Benefits to the Patient
Even though the leading hospitals in the study outperformed their peers in terms of quality outcomes, the cost of care was not
higher. The findings were that patients are not having to pay more. In fact, the study estimated that the typical hospital could save an average of $2,000 per cardiology case if they
achieved the success levels of the “Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospitals.”
“By concentrating our energies and efforts directed toward cardiac disease, we are able to decrease the length of stay of patients in the hospital and therefore are able to get them home
quicker, getting them into rehabilitation programs sooner, and decreasing the overall cost of the treatment,” Dr. Windsor says.
Patients experience a more rapid return to normal activity and have fewer problems after a procedure or surgery.
Matters of the Heart
The physicians of the Heart & Lung Clinic have working
relationships with referral centers, including the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic. “When it comes to diseases of the heart, patients admitted to St. Alexius will receive care
comparable with any Top 100 facility in the country,” Dr. Windsor says.
St. Alexius and the Heart & Lung Clinic appreciate the trust and support of our patients throughout the region, and we share this
honor with you. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call (701)530-7500 or 1(800)932-8848.
Directory of Tests For Heart Disease
Blood lipid profile This test measures cholesterol and triglycerides. An unfavorable
lipid profile (high LDL, low HDL and high triglycerides) can be a sign of atherosclerosis or narrowing of the arteries, which can
be slowed or reversed by lifestyle changes or medication.
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Used to determine the cause of chest pain, it involves applying small metal sensors to the skin to detect and record electrical impulses from the heart.
Exercise stress test
This ECG is performed while the person is exercising on a
treadmill or exercise bike. The workload is increased until the person reaches his or her maximum heart rate or is unable to continue.
Thallium stress test
When ECGs are normal, but there is a strong suspicion of angina (a sense of constriction of the chest or cardiac pain that radiates to the arms), a tiny amount of radioactive material is
injected and monitored following an exercise stress test. This test helps in determining the extent of heart damage and where it
exists.
Cardiac electrophysiology
Cardiac electrophysiology, the study of irregular heart problems, focuses on highly specialized techniques to identify, control and
sometimes cure certain irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmia). To study the patient’s heart, a long narrow tube called a catheter
is inserted into an artery leading to the heart. The catheter winds through the four heart chambers and records electrical activity to identify the type of irregular heart beat and where the rhythm problem begins.
Coronary angiography
This test reveals what is taking place in the coronary arteries and is performed when other tests indicate coronary heart disease. The angiogram can determine what arteries are affected and whether a balloon angioplasty or bypass surgery is needed.
Echocardiography
Using ultrasound waves to produce an image of the heart, this test can measure the blood pumped through the left ventricle. The test is useful in diagnosing congestive heart failure. Ask your doctor for more information about heart tests.
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