I N S T I T U T EHeart & Vascular

Since 1999, the community has acknowledged our dedication to cardiac care by selecting University as the area’s most preferred provider of heart care.

The Area Leader in Cardiac Care

QualityAt University Health Care System, our ongoing commitment to quality care is as strong as any leading health care pro-vider. To monitor the quality of that care, we track specific quality measures and compare them to the top hospitals in the country.

These measures are reported on multiple Websites, including those sponsored by The Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In addition, University was one of the first hospitals on record to add a “How We Com-pare” section within our own Website to publish the measures and more so patients

can draw their own conclusions regarding their health care choices.

There are several measures related to car-ing for people with heart attacks and con-gestive heart failure that are reported, and University compares very favorably to other local hospitals, as well as to state and national averages.

In fact, University has taken such a lead-ership role in quality measurement that the Institute for Healthcare Improvement named University one of 27 national Mentor Hospitals during its 100,000 Lives Cam-paign, which focused on improving patient care and maximizing clinical outcomes.

How Do We Compare?

Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac CareSM

University has been recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac CareSM of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, a nationwide program developed by physicians and hospitals to improve the quality and affordability of specialty care.

There is great variation among providers in terms of how specialty cardiac patients are evaluated and treated. The Blue Centers for Cardiac Care have identified institutions that meet stringent quality criteria – as established by expert physician panels and national organizations – that demonstrate better outcomes, consistent care and provide greater value.

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Technology

These machines allow operators to zoom in on areas of interest, make adjustments for crisper, cleaner images and avoid the dis-tortion of conventional X-rays so physicians can more accurately pinpoint the location and extent of clots or blockages. The result is more accurate diagnoses and more effective treatment plans.

A revolutionary step in the diagnosis of heart disease is Univer-sity’s 64-slice CT Scanner, the latest generation of CT technol-ogy. The 64-slice CT overcomes the movement of the heart and produces images that rival or outperform those gathered during cardiac catheterization. The noninvasive scans deliver clear, cross-sectional images of the heart muscle, valves and arteries. They help physicians determine if the walls of the arteries are lined with cholesterol or more advanced calcium-containing plaques. The scans also assist physicians in the following ways:

• identifyingwithgreater accuracy thaneverbefore,plaqueorcholesterol deposits that are prone to rupture and cause heart attacks

• rulingoutordiscoveringlife-threateningtearsintheaorta

• accessingthearteriesinthelungs

The 64-slice CT is the first technology that allows physicians to look at the coronary arteries, the lungs and the aorta all at the same time.

Our eight heart and vascular interventional labs are equipped with the area’s most advanced digital catheterization and electrophysiology technology.

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Specialists in Electrophysiology and Pacemaker ImplantationTwo interventional labs are devoted exclusively to electrophysiology and pacemaker implantation. They are equipped with technology designed to diagnose or locate arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), including special electrode catheters that can conduct electrical impulses to and from the heart, locate heart rhythm problems, and record the heart’s electrical signals.

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One of the Nation’sTop Vascular LabsTechnologists in University’s Vascular Laboratory perform diagnostic testing of veins and arteries in the arms, legs, neck, head and abdomen. University’s Vascular Laboratory is accredited in five areas of testing by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories. This means the lab performs its studies according to strict national standards.

Multidisciplinary Approach for Stroke PatientsStroke Units are known to reduce hospitalization time, improve outcomes and save lives. University’s Stroke Unit, the only one of its kind in the area, delivers the comprehensive care stroke patients need, from around-the-clock monitoring by trained neurologi-cal nurses, to a multidisciplinary treatment team that makes daily rounds, to early rehabilitative therapy that can reduce or reverse stroke damage.

Technology

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An Experienced Heart and Vascular TeamUniversity Hospital offers the largest, most comprehensive medical staff in the area. Its team of more than 600 skilled physicians includes more cardiologists and cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons than any area hospital.

Generations of physicians continue a long tradition of “firsts.” University developed the area’s first cardiac catheterization program, performed the region’s first angioplasty and transplanted the first heart in Georgia. University was also the first hospital in Georgia to use drug-eluting stents, and to operate a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program of its size and scope.

Today, University operates the most comprehensive and innovative heart and vascular service in the region.

University Hospital’s fully accredited Chest Pain Center shows that University has demon-strated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and completing onsite evaluations by a review team from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. Key areas in which a Chest Pain Center must demonstrate expertise include:

• Integratingtheemergencydepartmentwiththelocalemergencymedicalsystem• Assessing,diagnosingandtreatingpatientsquickly• Effectivelytreatingpatientswithlowriskforacutecoronarysyndromeandnoassign-

able cause for their symptoms• Continuallyseekingtoimproveprocessesandprocedures• EnsuringChestPainCenterpersonnelcompetencyandtraining• Maintainingorganizationalstructureandcommitment• Havingafunctionaldesignthatpromotesoptimalpatientcare• Supportingcommunityoutreachprograms that educate thepublic topromptly seek

medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack

Fully Accredited Chest Pain Center

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TBrachytherapyRadiation therapy helps prevent resteno-sis, or recurring blockages, caused by tis-sue that grows around stents implanted during angioplasty. Radiation is adminis-tered through a catheter to a localized area around the stent.

Stent TechnologyUniversity was the first hospital in Georgia to offer the latest treatment for stenosis called drug-eluting stents. A time-released drug on the stents slows cell growth, allowing the surrounding tissue to heal without leading to recurring blockages. University uses a vari-ety of coronary implant technology, to also include drug-coated and bare-metal stents, based on the latest trial data.

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs)These cookie-sized devices control ventric-ular tachycardia, a type of rapid heartbeat that can result in sudden death. Implanted just under the skin, they monitor and regu-late the patient’s heartbeat.

Catheter AblationA procedure called catheter ablation allows physicians to correct rapid heartbeat with-out open-heart surgery. A physician inserts a pacing wire tipped with an electrode through a vein in the arm or leg and into the heart, stopping the rapid heartbeat.

Implantable Cardioverter Resynchronization Therapy Device (CRTD)This small electronic device is used to treat heart failure by delivering small electrical impulses to the heart chambers to help them beat in a more coordinated way, or in “sync” with one another.

Experienced Open-heart SurgeonsUniversity’s cardiothoracic surgeons perform hundreds of open-heart surgeries each year, including coronary artery surgery, valve replacement surgery and repairs of ventricular aneurysms. They work in a dedi-cated suite designed specifically for open-heart surgery.

Beating-heart SurgeryA technique called beating-heart surgery allows cardiothoracic surgeons to perform coronary bypass surgery while the heart is stabilized and continues to beat, making this lifesaving surgery available to extreme-ly high-risk patients.

Comprehensive Vascular TherapiesUniversity’s Vascular Services program offers patients a wide range of the latest options to treat vascular disease from noninvasive means to highly technical surgeries. Treat-ment capabilities include but are not limited to abdominal aortic aneurysm, carotid ar-tery disease, deep vein thrombosis, periph-eral artery disease, pulmonary embolism and stroke.

The Latest Up-to-the-Minute TherapiesEvery day, researchers discover exciting new treatments forheart and vascular patients, and people in the CSRA and surrounding regions trust University to make those available.

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HHeart and VascularCare of the FutureUniversity’s Heart & Vascular Institute offers a new generation of cardiac and vascular diagnosis, treatment and reha-bilitation. Highlights include:

• all cardiovascular services togetherunder theroof of the expansive four-story, 188,000-square- foot facility

• cardiacandvascularinterventionallaboratoriesequipped with leading-edge digital diagnostics

• operating rooms just a few feet away fromthe labs

• 12,000-square-footCardiopulmonaryRehabili-tation Center, the largest and best equipped in the area

• integrated Diabetes Services department foruse in a multi-disciplinary approach to combating heart disease

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• the ability to bring care to patients in oneroom rather than moving them from room-to-room as their medical conditions change

• transformable environments that appearhomelike but contain the technology needed for critical care

• family zones that allow family members totake an active part in the healing process

• beds that transform into chairs and canberolled into others areas, even the bathroom

• bar-codingtechnologytohelpensuremedi-cation accuracy and bedside computeriza-tion to increase charting efficiency

• technologythatintegratespatientcommuni-cation, education and entertainment

The center allows for a more efficient delivery of care in 72 Universal Patient Rooms. These rooms are large and homelike to accommodate family members, while equipped for clinical care and staffed by nurses trained to care for patients at all levels in their recovery. The rooms include the following:

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Education

When it comes to heart disease, the best defense is a good offense. That’s why University offers a variety of services, classes, screenings and spe-cial events that encourage heart-healthy life-styles, including:

• FREEFreshStartsmokingcessationprogramsdesigned by the American Cancer Society (706.774.8900)

For up-to-the-minute information on University’s classes, health screenings and special events, visit www.universityhealth.org/calendar.

Learn More About Heart HealthRely on University’s Website, www.universityhealth.org to research health issues, read breaking medical news, check University’s calendar of events, find a physician or obtain other information.

Supporting Heart Health Through Education

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Patients with heart and lung disease learn to cope with their limitations and improve their quality of life at University’s Cardiopulmo-nary Rehabilitation Center. This premier fa-cility, located on the first floor of University’s Heart & Vascular Institute, includes an indoor track, as well as aerobic and strength train-ing equipment.

The center’s three-phase Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, helps patients recovering from cardiac surgery, heart attack or any cardiac event to reduce the risk of further problems and live fuller, more ac-tive lives through monitored exercise, nutrition and stress management programs. The center also allows patients with diabetes, peripheral ar-

tery disease, hypertension and lipid abnormali-ties to exercise in a safe environment where they can be monitored by experienced clinicians who specialize in rehabilitation.

There’s also a rehabilitation program for pa-tients with congestive heart failure and a three-phase pulmonary rehabilitation program for patients with bronchitis, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

University’sCongestiveHeartFailureprogramserves the needs of hundreds of people in our community who suffer from this condition. Ini-tial examinations, a weekly heart failure clinic, and regular calls from registered nurses reduce hospitalizations and help these patients im-prove the quality of their lives.

The Area’s Most Sophisticated Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Center

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Education, Rehabilitation and Disease Management

W• anaccreditedChestPainCenterthathasdemonstrateditsex-pertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and completing on-site evaluations by a review team

• amedicalstaffofmorethan600physicians,includingthearea’smost skilled and experienced team of cardiologists and cardio-thoracic and vascular surgeons

• eightheartandvascularinterventionallabsequippedwiththearea’s most advanced digital catheterization and electrophysi-ology technology

• an open heart surgery servicewith a surgical suite designedspecifically for open-heart procedures

• avasculartestinglabthat’samongthemosthighlyaccreditedin the nation

• awiderangeofthelatestoptionstotreatvasculardiseasefromnoninvasive means to highly technical surgical procedures

• adedicatedStrokeUnitthatoffersamultidisciplinaryapproachto care

• extendedfrequency,hospital-widewirelesstelemetrymonitoring,which allows patients who need heart monitoring to be placed in the hospital based on their primary diagnosis, yet have the security of heart monitoring

• themost advancedCardiopulmonaryRehabilitationCenter inthe region with an indoor track as well as aerobic and strength training equipment

• homehealthservices,educationaloutreachandemotionalsupport

What Does University’s Heart and Vascular Program Offer You and Your Family?

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1350 Walton Way • Augusta, GA 30901

www.universityhealth.org/ heart

9670-7680.1 Rev. 02/2011