Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 6, 1994 TAG: 9403040192
SECTION: ROANOKE MEMORIAL HOSPITALS PAGE: RMH-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOANNE ANDERSON
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
They all refer to matters of the heart.
While coronary heart disease claims more lives than any other illness, great strides have been made over the past two decades in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac problems. The Roanoke Memorial Regional Heart Center is at the forefront of providing state-of-the-art cardiac care, and for that reason, is relied on throughout southwest Virginia and parts of West Virginia.
In 1992, 750 open heart surgery operations were performed at the hospital, a 46 percent increase over five years earlier. In 1994, increased efficiency and the addition of intensive care beds and one operating room for heart surgery will allow the hospital to handle the increasing demand for heart surgery in the region.
The advanced cardiac care facility has been set up on two floors of the new South Pavalion. On the sixth floor, there are three operating rooms instead of just two that were in the old building, four catheterization laboratories instead of three and 12 intensive care rooms instead of five.
The seventh floor has 12 coronary intensive care rooms - three more than in the old wing - and 25 progressive care beds, 10 semi-private and 15 private rooms.
"Increased patient comfort and care are major advantages in the new area," said clinical nurse specialist Cathy Jennings, pointing out glass walls in the intensive care rooms, colorful highlights and a warm decor.
Steve Purves, senior vice president and chief operating officer, said the hospital "will be able to admit more patients in need of cardiac monitoring, open heart surgery and intensive care services. And there will be a reduced waiting time for heart treatment."
With the surgical equipment on the same floor near the catheterization laboratories and intensive care rooms, patient transport is reduced to a few steps and time between areas is shortened significantly. Like almost everything in the new South Pavilion, the cardiac surgical suites are more spacious, making operations much more efficient. The suites have the laminar air flow systems which create a curtain of air around a patient during surgery, an important feature in reducing the risk of infection.
There are many more electrical outlets, and increased computer interface capabilities in the cardiac surgical suites. The lights are all new, with better intensity and beam controls.
The new facility has a dedicated electro-physiology room on the seventh floor. In the catheterization laboratories, dye is injected into arteries to determine if blockages exist and measurements of pressure in different chambers and vessels are recorded and analyzed. Electro-physiology, on the other hand, focuses on the electrical system of rhythmic heart problems. It's the only equipment of its kind in the region.
There's a lot to learn when someone comes into the heart center, according to Dr. Paul Frantz, heart surgeon and director of hospital cardiac surgery, and education is an important part of the cardiac teams's mission. Seminars and lectures about heart surgery, new techniques, what to expect and how to follow up at home are taught by a variety of staff experts.
Both floors have large waiting rooms with comfortable, contemporary furnishings, classroom space and special consultation rooms for private family and staff conversations. "Families visit with each other, compare notes and talk about their loved ones," said nurse Jennings. "There will also be more support services in close proximity to the families, like social services, patient representatives, and the nurses."
From its position and importance in the body, heart has come to be used for referring to the center or core of something. Patient-focused concerns, for example, are at the heart of Roanoke Memorial Hospitals' mission in serving the region with advanced cardiac care.
by CNB