Cardiovascular disease claims more lives each year than the next five leading causes of death combined, including cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents, diabetes, and influenza and pneumonia. This is why a comprehensive, leading-edge cardiac care program is an essential component of the hospital you choose.

At Arlington Memorial Hospital (AMH), cardiac care includes everything from heart health education programs to high-tech diagnostics and surgery to cardiac emergency care to rehabilitation. The focal point of cardiac services is the Heart Pavilion, which is equipped and staffed to offer the most advanced services and procedures available today.

For years the Heart Pavilion, located on the second floor of the hospital, has housed the cath lab, critical care unit, telemetry and EKG/EEG department, allowing for patients and families to conveniently access many cardiac services in one area. “It is extremely important to the continuity of care that closely integrated services are centrally located within a facility for the comfort and safety of the patient,” says Darien Bradford, M.D., a cardiovascular surgeon on the medical staff at AMH. “Arlington Memorial has recently expanded and renovated to add or relocate even more cardiac services to the pavilion.”

One change is the addition of three new high-tech cardiac surgery suites. “Procedures requiring an incision to view the heart or lungs, including bypass grafts, valve replacements and cardiothoracic surgery, were previously performed in operating rooms located on a different floor of the hospital,” explains Dr. Bradford. “This required patients to be transported by elevator after surgery to the Heart Pavilion for continued care and monitoring.” Aside from less transport time, the move of the suites is beneficial to family members as they can now congregate in one area rather than on different floors. For this reason, the hospital has added a spacious 1,200-square-foot waiting area, complete with recliners, to accommodate waiting families and friends.

The technological advances and design of the cardiac surgery suites offer a more efficient flow, which can mean less surgical time for the patient. “The suites feature new machines that allow the surgical team to look at the aorta more closely, overhead lights equipped with cameras and a complex communication system that lets physicians access a patient’s lab results or other information quickly and visually, rather than by phone,” explains Sharlyn Ladner, R.N., cardiovascular team coordinator. “Also, most of the equipment needed during surgery will extend from the ceiling, decreasing the number of carts and cords on the floor and creating more maneuverability for the surgical team.”

In the future, it’s possible that the lights can be turned on or off and the beds raised or lowered by voice command. Dr. Bradford adds, “This technology is comparable to that available in cardiac suites in high-volume facilities across the country. Residents in our community are very fortunate to have such cutting-edge technology and services here in Arlington, eliminating the need to travel outside the city for topnotch cardiac care.”

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