Cardiac Services
Building on a long history of offering specialized cardiac care, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center offers a comprehensive approach to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and research of adult cardiac disease. Services include:
- Diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization services
- Specialized cardiology and cardiac surgery services
- Cardiac rehabilitation and lifestyle cardiac wellness programs
These services integrate independent medical staff – including a wide variety of private cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons – with St. Joseph’s faculty staff to enhance inpatient treatment, education and recovery. The interdisciplinary approach facilitates research into new technologies and treatment modalities, as well as collaborating Barrow Neurological Institute physicians and staff, to support stroke prevention, treatment and research.
Building on a History of Achievement
St. Joseph’s has always been a leader in cardiovascular care - pioneering new procedures and advancing healthcare technology. Notable achievements include:
- First computerized EKG program in Arizona (1967)
- First coronary care unit in the Southwest (1964)
- First heart-lung transplant in Arizona (1984) and one of the first nationwide
Cath Lab Services and Capabilities
A number of enhancements have been made to St. Joseph’s four cardiac catheterization labs, and there are a variety of special features now in place: Two labs are dedicated to adult diagnostic and interventional procedures. These include:
- Angioplasty and stenting, both electively and emergently with interventional procedures
- Diagnostic testing for valve surgery and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures
- Diagnosis and advanced treatment of peripheral vascular disease
A third lab is dedicated to electrophysiology (EP) procedures. This area allows physicians to conduct AV node ablations with 3-D mapping as well as supraventricular tachycardiac (SVT) ablations and atrial fibrillation ablations. In addition, there is EP testing for device implants such as pacemakers and internal cardiac defibrillators. A fourth lab is dedicated to pediatric congenital heart services and pulmonary hypertension diagnosis and treatment. The Cath Lab has 100 percent telemetry.
The Cath Lab has implemented a number of practices to ensure quality and continuity of care
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- The Emergency Department (ED) can activate the Cath Lab when a patient with emergent needs comes into the hospital. The Cath Lab team also has immediate access to the ED’s electronic medical records to assess the patient’s condition.
- A successful program has been implented for rapid treatment of acute myocardial infarction, achieving a "door to balloon" time and an open artery in 90 minutes or less.
- Cath Lab activation can be accomplished within 20 to 30 minutes of contact.
- Support from executive hospital leadership and board certified cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons specializing in the treatment of heart, thoracic and vascular medicine to ensure ongoing quality improvement.
- The Cardiac Quality Committee meets monthly to review cases and procedures. The committee is a multidisciplinary team that includes cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, emergency physicians, all areas of cardiac nursing staff, CV patient educators, clinical pharmacists, case management and communications.
- The Cath Lab consistently scores high on national and hospital-based quality indicators.
National Standards for treating Heart Attack Patients
The American College of Cardiology along with Medicare have set a national goal for hospitals that treat patients experiencing an Acute Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack or MI). The goal is from time of arrival in an Acute Care Emergency Room until the blocked artery that is causing the heart attack to be open( usually in the Cath Lab) to be less then 90 minutes total to improve patient survival and outcomes.This is refered to as D2B-Which means Door to Balloon.
For four consecutive months St. Joseph's has experienced a median door to balloon time of 82 minutes, below the established ACC goal of 90 minutes. This achievement is due to the hard work and collaboration of the multidisciplinary cardiac/ED team providing care to patients experiencing an acute MI. St. Joseph’s would like to thank all team members, including our Cardiologists for participation in this ongoing initiative.
Cardiac Medicine
The Center utilizes academic faculty and independent physicians to provide clinical care, operational effectiveness, and accessibility, serving cardiovascular health needs ranging from primary prevention through the most sophisticated interventional therapies and surgeries.
Diagnostic and Interventional Capabilities:
- Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS)
- Electrophysiology, 3-D mapping and ablation
- Two-dimensional echocardiology with color doppler
- Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)
- Nuclear stress testing
- 64-slice cardiac CT Scanning
- Peripheral vascular disease evaluation and treatment.
- Treadmill stress testing
- Holter monitoring/scanning
- Cardiac event monitoring
Surgical Services:
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Mitral Valve Disease
- Aortic Valve Disease
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Heart Failure
- Aortic Disease
- Endoscopic radial artery harvesting
- Rigid sternal fixation
- Endovascular grafting of abdominal aortic aneurysms
Patient Care Tower
The Heart & Lung Tower (HLT) at St. Joseph’s features six dedicated state-of-the-art cardiothoracic surgical suites, 16 intensive care rooms and 39 private patient rooms devoted to cardiovascular telemetry. The tower also includes highdefinition video recording and Internet streaming capabilities for education and research. In addition to the HLT, Tower 6 in St. Joseph’s Patient Care Tower is now 100 percent telemetry, which provides an added benefit for patients who need medical admission.
Cardiac Rehabilitation
St. Joseph’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is designed to improve an individual’s emotional stability, quality of life and physical activity. The program is designed to educate and reduce patient’s risk factors for reoccurring cardiac disease. The program is nationally certified by the American Association for Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
Rapid Access and Referrals
Community physicians can call 602-406-6611 to activate the Rapid Cardiac Admission Program (RCAP) for a cardiovascular admission or transfer. St. Joseph’s is a Designated Regional Arizona Arrest Center specializing in the treatment of cardiac emergencies.
Referrals and consultations for both independent and faculty physicians can been obtained through the ResourceLink physician referral service by calling 1-877-602-4111.
Downlaod Cardiac Services Flyer
