Cardiology
Awarded Mission: Lifeline Silver Receiving Recognition for heart attack care
The American Heart Association (AHA) has recognized St. Elizabeth's Hospital Heart and Vascular Center with its 2013 Mission: Lifeline® Silver Quality Achievement Award. Hospitals involved in Mission: Lifeline are a part of a system that ensures STEMI patients get the proper care in a timely manner. Read news release here.
Named Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospital by Truven Health Analytics
St. Elizabeth's Hospital has been named one of the nation's 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics. The study examined the performance of more than 1,000 hospitals by analyzing outcomes for patients with heart failure and heart attacks and for those who received coronary bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary interventions such as angioplasties.
This is the first year St. Elizabeth's has been recognized with this honor. This year's winners were announced October 1 in Modern Healthcare magazine. St. Elizabeth's is one of only four hospitals in Illinois and Missouri named to the list. Read news release or visit Truven Health Analytics.
National Reputation meets Belleville Location
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is a partner with Prairie Heart Institute of Illinois (PHII), a community-based network of hospitals and clinics offering the highest level of cardiovascular care. By working together, the hospital and PHII are able to develop and implement unique clinical and training programs for physicians and staff, educate patients on the importance of cardiac health while applying the newest procedures to save lives. Visit the PrairieFirst website to learn why Prairie Heart is the choice for the best heart care.
Cardiovascular Outpatient Testing services opened
St. Elizabeth’s provides comprehensive cardiovascular services from diagnoses to surgery to rehabilitation and wellness. Now, through a combination of skill and leading-edge technologies, a wide range of diagnostic services are provided by St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s expert staff at this convenient location.
Convenient location for patients: Suite 403, 340 West Lincoln Street, Belleville
Diagnostic tests include:
Echocardiograms - Echocardiograms are used to detect abnormalities of the chambers and heart valves, murmurs, wall motion of the ventricle and possibly fluid surrounding the heart. During this test, sound waves are sent through a device called a transducer. Through the transducer, moving images of the heart are then displayed on a TV-like screen and then downloaded to a computer for the physician to view later.
Stress Echoes - A stress echocardiogram is usually done to rule out coronary artery disease. To complete this test, an echocardiogram is conducted before and after the patient’s heart rate is increased by walking vigorously on a treadmill. When performed at Liberty Hospital, the test results are always evaluated by a qualified physician.
Stress Tests (exercise treadmill) - A stress test is an exercise test that allows a doctor to watch your heart with activity. A cardiovascular nurse or technologist and a doctor will monitor your heart beat and blood pressure during the test.
Nuclear Stress Tests - This test helps determine how your heart works during physical activity. As your body works during any physical exertion, it requires more oxygen and energy. To meet this demand, the heart beats faster and harder. The stress test shows if your heart receives enough blood from its own arteries to work harder, safely.
Chest Pain Center Accreditation - St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is accredited by the Society of Chest Pain Centers
, a professional organization focused on improving care for patients with acute coronary syndromes and teaching the public to recognize and react to the early symptoms of a possible heart attack. This accreditation attests that St. Elizabeth’s meets strict criteria for recognizing and treating patients who come to the emergency room with heart attack symptoms.
When we received accreditation in 2004, we were
- 1st hospital in the St. Louis Metropolitan area
- 3rd accreditted center in Illinois
- 70th in the nation
The Southern Illinois Heart Institute (SIHI) offers a full range of state-of-the-art services for diagnosing, treating and preventing heart disease. Our patients benefit from our highly credentialed physicians and state-of-the art technologies, as well as our commitment to superior patient outcomes.
Located on the campus of St. Elizabeth's Hospital, we perform more than 3,200 diagnostic and interventional procedures in our Cardiac Catheterization Lab each year. In addition, over 50,000 cardiac cath and coronary angioplasty procedures have been done since opening our cath lab in 1986.
Heart Attack Care We are a heart attack receiving center. Currently, more than 5 area hospitals send their patients to us for heart attack care. The average time from our patient's arrival to angioplasty is under 55 minutes. With the national average* at 64 minutes, our STEMI (heart attack) program is:
- 22% faster than the average for all hospitals in Illinois
- 11% faster than those in Missouri
- 17% faster than the average for the entire US
*2011 Q2 ACCNCDR PCI Data
We are also an active participant in the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline. For more information and educational presentations on early heart attack care (EHAC), visit the Society of Chest Pain Centers Patient Education page on EHAC .
Our highly trained medical team has the experience and skill needed to determine the most effective, least extreme course of treatment for each patient. They take the time to listen and answer your questions, providing the personal attention and care to help put your mind at ease along the way. The Southern Illinois Heart Institute’s services include:
- Cardiac catheterization (inpatient and outpatient)
- Stent placement/angioplasty
- Stress testing
- Pacemaker
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
- Cardiac and transesophogeal echos
- Cardioversions
- Holter monitoring and Tilt Table Testing Holter
- Coronary artery bypass graft (open heart) surgery
- Electrocardiography (ECG or EKG)
- Thrombolytic therapy
- Cardiac rehabilitation
- Nutritional counseling and education
- Electrophysiology Lab for studies, tests and ablations
In 2007, our state-of-the-art Heart and Vascular Center opened at the hospital to treat patients for vascular diseases and is accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL). The Center offers residents of southern Illinois up-to-date technological advances in teh field of cardiac and vascular medicine. The lab has performs 3D imaging of CatScan (CT) angiogram and Magnetic Resonance (MR) angiogram which allows more accurate information and visualization for physicians. Other services include implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators, stent placement, and electrophysiology studies and ablations.
Women's Heart Care St. Elizabeth’s Hospital Cardiology Department and Cardiology Consultants Ltd., now an affiliate of Prairie Heart Institute, have been partnering with Yale University since 2008 in a nationwide, $9.7 million study named VIRGO. VIRGO stands for Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) patients. The study examines predictors of a broad range of early and 1-year outcomes for women who have heart attacks. VIRGO investigates why do women under 55 experience worse outcomes than similarly aged men. With over 250 participating hospitals, St. Elizabeth’s is one of only two hospitals from the bi-state. We have achieved gold level of enrollment through every quarter since its beginning.
UnitedHealth Premium Cardiac Specialty Center - St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is designated as a UnitedHealth Premium Cardiac Specialty Center. – because it’s the sign of a leader and a dedicated staff. It’s also an acknowledgement that we’re a hospital you can choose with confidence. Our staff, services and procedures are evaluated against a set of specific criteria and guidelines. As a result, St. Elizabeth’s experience and expertise has been recognized. In September 2009 - The Heart and Vascular Center at St. Elizabeth's Hospital has been upgraded to a "Three Star Quality" designation by United HealthCare for the highest efficiency in cardiac care, scoring 95 out of 100.
