100 Hospitals With Great Heart Programs - Part 3

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100 Hospitals With Great Heart Programs
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Martin Memorial Medical Center (Stuart, Fla.). The Frances Langford Heart Center at Martin Memorial Medical Center offers a full spectrum of heart care, from diagnostic to interventional services and rehabilitation. In addition to its cardiovascular surgery team of surgeons, physician assistants and anesthesiologists, the center has specially trained registered nurses and technicians who are dedicated to open-heart surgeries. In the cardiovascular intensive care unit, the ratio of nurses to patients in the immediate recovery period is 1:1.

Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston). Massachusetts General Hospital's Corrigan Minehan Heart Center has 11 condition-specific programs, such as the Thoracic Aortic Center and the Corrigan Women's Heart Health Program. In 1990, heart center researchers opened the Cardiovascular Research Center, dedicated to discovering treatments for heart disease. More recently, scientists at the research center found a master heart stem cell that holds promise for recreating heart tissue to repair damaged hearts.

Maury Regional Medical Center (Columbia, Tenn.). Maury Regional Medical Center is home to southern middle Tennessee's only heart center. The hospital offers interventional procedures and is a Level III accredited chest pain center. The hospital also addresses the emotional and mental affects of heart disease. Local members of Mended Hearts, a national non-profit organization, provide additional emotional support for Maury Regional Medical Center heart surgery patients and their families.  

Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.). Mayo Clinic's Division of Cardiovascular Surgery and the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases is one of the largest in the world, as physicians treat about 55,000 patients each year. In 2012, Mayo Clinic researchers participated in a study that monitored people climbing Mount Everest, which may provide insight into aging patients and heart disease. What the climbers experience on the mountain mimics aspects of heart disease due to the high altitude.

Medical Center of Central Georgia (Macon). The Georgia Heart Center in The Luce Heart Institute at The Medical Center of Georgia offers comprehensive cardiovascular services and treatments. Surgeons at The Georgia Heart Center perform more than 750 open heart surgeries every year. The heart center also offers AngioScreens, which use ultrasounds to scan arteries and determine the vascular health of patients.

Medical University of South Carolina Medical Center (Charleston). Medical University of South Carolina's Heart and Vascular Center is the only full-service center of its kind in South Carolina. South Carolina's first heart transplant was performed at the hospital more than 20 years ago, and today it is the only hospital in the state that offers heart transplants. In 2006, the hospital became one of the first in the state to use Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest Protocol for eligible patients. The process involves slowly cooling and then warming patients in a two-day period, and studies show the process improves neurological outcomes in patients.

MedStar Union Memorial Hospital (Baltimore). The Heart Institute and the Vascular Institute are two of MedStar Union Memorial Hospital's four centers of excellence. Vascular surgeons at the hospital were some of the first in Maryland to perform minimally invasive vascular procedures. Along with a highly trained physician staff, more than half of the institute's nurses have 10 or more years of experience.

Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (Houston). Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center's Heart and Vascular Institute's history of innovation stretches back to 1927. It was the first hospital in the world to show that heart disease can be reversed and the first hospital in Texas to perform a cardiac catheterization, among other highlights. The hospital is currently collaborating with the University of Texas Medical School on a five-year study that looks at lifestyle factors, preventive health teaching and advanced heart imaging for treating and preventing coronary heart disease.

Mercy Medical Center (Canton, Ohio). The Mercy Heart Center has an impressive list of "firsts" under its belt, including a world's first — it performed the world's first angioplasty in an emergency department. Mercy is also the nation's first accredited chest pain center and was the first emergency room in the nation to use cardiopulmonary bypass to resuscitate heart attack victims, among other accomplishments. Mercy helped pioneer some of the nation's most innovative heart procedures and was the first hospital in northeast Ohio to perform a minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery.

Meriter Hospital (Madison, Wis.). The Heart & Vascular Hospital is a hospital within a hospital at Meriter Hospital that offers a comprehensive range of diagnostic, treatment and therapy heart disease services. The hospital, which has received HealthGrades' Coronary Intervention Excellence Award, hosted the first ever city-wide vascular and electrophysiology meeting in 2012, where Madison's specialists came together to discuss various discipline topics.  

The Methodist Hospital (Houston). Famed heart surgeon, the late Michael DeBakey, MD, helped pioneer the cardiology and cardiovascular specialties at The Methodist Hospital. In his name, the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in The Methodist Hospital is one of the largest transplant centers in the nation. In October 2012, the center became the first in Houston to offer a new kind of branched aortic graft, the Zenith Fenestrated AAA Endovascular Graft, which can be implanted through a minimally invasive procedure.  

Morristown (N.J.) Medical Center. Physicians at Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute at Morristown Medical Center perform more than 1,000 heart surgeries annually, more than any other facility in the state. The hospital is one of 20 in the nation to offer three minimally-invasive treatment options for heart valve repair and replacement. In June, the hospital named Linda Gillam, MD, MPH, a world-renowned valve heart disease and echocardiography expert, as the chair of cardiovascular medicine.

Morton Plant Hospital (Clearwater, Fla.). The Morgan Heart Hospital at Morton Plant Hospital performs more open heart and interventional procedures than any other hospital in its county, and the hospital continues to widen its scope for heart care. In January 2012, Morton Plant Hospital expanded the service line when it opened the Valve Clinic for the treatment of complex heart valve disorders, such as aortic stenosis. Morton Plant Hospital became the first hospital in the Tampa Bay, Fla., area to perform a transcatheter aortic valve replacement by the transapical approach in October 2012.  

Mount Sinai Medical Center (New York City). Mount Sinai Heart Hospital was established in 2006 and offers eight areas of heart care, including treatment for arrhythmia-heart rhythm disorder and pediatric and congenital heart conditions. The director of the heart hospital, Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, received the American Heart Association's 2012 Research Achievement Award for his significant contributions to cardiovascular medicine. The cardiac catheterization lab was one of four in New York to receive the state's highest safety rating for angioplasty in 2012.

Nebraska Heart Institute & Heart Hospital (Lincoln). Nebraska Heart Institute & Heart Hospital was the first heart hospital in the state. Performing roughly 900 open-heart procedures and 1,500 interventions each year, Nebraska Heart Institute physicians perform more diagnostic, interventional and surgical procedures annually than any other cardiac program in Nebraska. The hospital emphasizes continuity of care, and patients stay in one room for their entire visit.

New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell (New York City). New York Presbyterian Heart is recognized by Castle Connolly for having the most top-performing heart specialists on its staff compared to other hospitals in the United States. New York-Presbyterian/Columbia is also home to the Naomi Berrie Center for Diabetes and Heart Care, a specialized center for diabetes patients with heart conditions. More heart transplants have been performed through New York-Presbyterian's transplant program than any other hospital in the country.  

NYU Langone Medical Center (New York City). The Cardiac and Vascular Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center includes eight comprehensive programs that bridge the gap between research and clinical care. The hospital is also home to the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology. In May 2012, NYU Langone's cardiology department published comprehensive analyses on the efficacy and safety of stents. NYU Langone, which is a Magnet-accredited hospital, was also named to Thomson Reuters' Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals in 2012 — the only hospital in New York state with the distinction.

North Shore Medical Center FMC Campus (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). The Heart Institute of Florida at North Shore Medical Center FMC Campus was one of the first two hospitals in the state to offer 80-lead electrocardiogram technology, which measures electrical impulses throughout the entire heart, not just the frontal portion as with traditional ECGs. In June 2012, the hospital opened its valve clinic and cardiac hybrid operating suite, which combines imaging capabilities with traditional surgery and can reduce patient recovery time.

Northside Hospital – Forsyth (Cumming, Ga.). Northside Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute's trained medical professionals specialize in comprehensive cardiovascular services. In 2011, a physician at Northside Hospital – Forsyth implanted Forsyth County's first MRI-conditioned pacemaker, a device that allows patients to safely undergo MRI screens after implantation. In 2012, the hospital received the UnitedHealth Premium specialty center designation for its quality of care in cardiac services.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago). The Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital has six clinical centers for various heart conditions and for women's heart health. Northwestern researchers study all aspects of heart and vascular care through the Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute. The hospital continues to tailor its care to patients' specialized needs. In July 2012, the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute launched a multidisciplinary program for patients with bicuspid aortic valve disease, one of the most common congenital heart defects.

Ochsner Medical Center (New Orleans). The John Ochsner Heart & Vascular Institute consists of six sections that provide a continuum of cardiovascular care. Physicians at the institute pioneered the use of coronary angioscopy in the 1980s. The hospital has continued excelling in heart care since, as it has been ranked as one of the top 25 in the nation for heart care and heart surgery since 2010 by U.S. News & World Report.

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Columbus). The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center's Heart and Vascular Center includes the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and 20 outreach clinics. The Ross Heart Hospital has the only adult heart transplant program in central Ohio. In October 2012, Ohio State scientists received a four-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to study mechanisms associated with an elevated heart rate.

Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) Medical Center. The Heart Institute at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center was the first hospital in Palm Beach County to perform open heart surgery. Since then, physicians have performed about 15,000 open-heart surgeries to date. The institute offers a range of cardiac services, from diagnostics to surgery to rehabilitation. In June 2012, the hospital expanded its cardiac services when it opened its new valve clinic, which focuses on treating aortic valve disease.

Palmetto General Hospital (Hialeah, Fla.). Employees at the Heart Institute at Palmetto General Hospital and the Palmetto Vascular Institute speak numerous languages in order to better serve the hospital's diverse multicultural community. The Valve Clinic has physicians who are specially trained to perform valve procedures designed to repair or replace the aortic valve. Palmetto General Hospital has received HealthGrades' Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award.

Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital (St. Louis Park, Minn.). Park Nicollet's Heart and Vascular Center at Methodist Hospital was designed specifically with the patient in mind, as the center involves short walking distances and short waiting times. The design aims to provide patients and family members with the ultimate patient experience, and includes a scenic boardwalk along a local creek and wetlands. The hospital's nuclear cardiology lab uses non-invasive, state-of-the-art imaging techniques.  

Providence Regional Medical Center Everett (Wash.). The Heart Center at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett has received more cardiovascular care excellence awards than any other hospital in Washington state. The Heart Center offers five centers of excellence and an emergency response network for cardiac and stroke care. Recently, the hospital introduced a new pacemaker monitoring technology that allows physicians to monitor patients from their offices.

Regional Hospital of Scranton (Pa.). Regional Hospital of Scranton offers a cardiac catheterization lab, a heart rhythm center and cardiac surgery and rehabilitation. It has a history of regional cardiac care "firsts." In 1971, the hospital performed the region's first open heart surgery and, in 1972, it opened the region's first tertiary cardiovascular care center, among other accomplishments. The hospital recently added to its list of regional firsts when a cardiologist implanted a newly-approved stent, the Medtronic Resolute zotarolismus-eluting stent, into a diabetic patient. It was the first time the stent had been used in northeast Pennsylvania.

Robert Packer Hospital (Sayre, Pa.). Robert Packer Hospital's cardiologists, electrophysiologists, cardiac surgeons and vascular surgeons work together to provide comprehensive cardiac care. The hospital includes programs and centers tailored to patients' specific heart care needs. The Chest Pain Center at Robert Packer is accredited by the Society for Chest Pain Centers and has a highly-trained staff to evaluate and treat chest pain patients, and the Arrhythmia Center provides care management for patients with implanted cardiac pacemakers and ICDs.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles). The heart transplant program at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is ranked as the best in the nation by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. The hospital is also home to the UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, which is one of four centers in the state with a Stereotaxis Magnetic Navigation System. The machine allows for fine control of an ablation catheter when targeting cardiac tissue involved in a patient's abnormal heart rhythm. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center has received HealthGrades' Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award.

Rush University Medical Center (Chicago). Rush University Medical Center offers surgical and non-surgical cardiovascular services related to the prevention, treatment and research of heart-related conditions. It is home to the Rush Heart Center for Women, the first program of its kind in Chicago. In October 2012, Rush partnered with six other major academic medical centers to form the Chicago Adult Congenital Heart Network. It is the first patient-centered, inter-institutional network in the city, designed to ensure all adults with congenital heart disease in the area receive follow-up care.