Cardiology

Patients arriving in our ER with chest pain or other heart attack symptoms will be quickly evaluated and diagnosed upon arrival.

We are proud to be recognized for our low door-to-balloon times — which measure the time between when a patient arrives and receives treatment. The national guideline for door-to-balloon time is 90 minutes. Our times are well below the guidelines, meaning you receive expert emergency care even faster when every second counts.

In addition to traditional imaging services, such as X-rays and ultrasounds, our hospital uses specialized heart imaging technologies to analyze and diagnose heart conditions. Imaging exams may include:

• Coronary computerized tomography (CT) angiogram
• Echocardiogram (echo)
• Electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Heart CT for calcium scoring
• Lung nodule screenings
• Nuclear imaging technology
• Stress testing

Cardiac catheterizations are minimally invasive procedures used in the diagnosis and treatment of many heart conditions. Our cardiologists perform emergency and elective cardiac procedures in the three cardiac cath labs at our hospital.

The team in the cath labs include board-certified cardiologists, interventional cardiologists and a highly trained support staff. We also have a cardiothoracic surgeon and interventional cardiologist on-call 24/7, so lifesaving cardiovascular care is always available and delivered by an experienced cardiac team.

What to expect on the day of your procedure

Your procedure may be completed using one of two possible techniques: through a blood vessel in your leg or through your arm. Your cardiologist will determine which approach will be best for you and will make sure you know what to expect.

Though unlikely, some patients do require a blood transfusion. In those instances, we will provide specific information regarding the procedure.

Procedures we offer

• Angioplasty
• Cardiac catheterization
• Cardiac stenting
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
• Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR)

Our hospital has two electrophysiology laboratories where we diagnose and treat patients with heart arrhythmias. We treat the following types of irregular heart rhythms:

• Atrial fibrillation (AFib)
• Atrial flutter
• Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)
• Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)

Inside our expanded electrophysiology labs, we have dedicated spaces for presurgical preparation and postoperative recovery. There is also a procedure room dedicated to electrophysiology services. Our cardiologists and electrophysiologists can insert the following devices to manage cardiac rhythm disorders:

• Biventricular pacemakers
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs)
• Loop implant recorders
• Pacemakers
• Watchman devices

Heart and vascular surgery is the cornerstone of our comprehensive cardiac care program. In fact, we are the only facility in Clay County with an open-heart surgery program. The doctors on our cardiovascular surgery team are members of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons' national registry, so you can trust our experience and quality of care.

Our program was designed to provide a comprehensive continuum of care for patients undergoing surgeries, such as:

• Carotid stenting
• Coronary artery angioplasty and stenting
• Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
• Electrophysiology procedures (device implants to regulate arrhythmias)
• Endarterectomy
• Femoral artery bypass graft
• General thoracic surgery
• Heart valve repair
• Heart valve replacement
• Minimally invasive direct CABG (MIDCABG)
• Peripheral atherectomy
• Robot-assisted mitral valve repair

Our CVICU staff exclusively works with our cardiac patients and includes specialized cardiac care nurses.

Our team works with our patients and their families to ensure every patient receives the attentive postoperative care they need to heal. One way we do this is by offering an ICU intensivist in-house 24/7.

We are committed to helping patients through their recoveries quickly so they can return home as soon as possible. Most patients in our CVICU return home within five to seven days.

Knowing what to do in a cardiac emergency could save a life. We offer the following opportunities:

• Advanced cardiac life support recertification
• HeartSaver CPR with AED initial certification
• HeartSaver first aid

View our cardiology classes