CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System’s Electrophysiology (EP) Lab was recently featured in “EP Lab Digest,” published monthly by Healthcare Made Practical (HMP). The seven-page spotlight article highlights the development, operations, and success of the EP Lab and explains how the lab benefits the region’s heart patients.
Already the market leader in heart care, CHRISTUS St. Michael invested $2.7 million in the construction and equipping of an EP Lab to further enhance cardiology care for area residents. The region’s first and only EP Lab opened in 2016 to provide innovative heart care locally for patients with arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats. Because irregular heartbeats can lead to heart complications, fatigue, congestive heart failure or stroke, offering an EP program is critical to the heart health of Texarkana and the surrounding communities.
“Until the opening of the CHRISTUS St. Michael EP Lab, electrophysiology programs have been available mainly in major institutions in larger cities, forcing local residents to travel away from home to receive care for diagnosing and treating heart rhythm disturbances,” said Lisa Patterson, BS, CNMT, RT(N), Director of Imaging Services at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System.
In conjunction with the building of the EP Lab, Dr. Kevin Hayes, Texarkana’s first and only Electrophysiologist (EP), joined Texarkana Cardiology Associates and serves as the lab’s medical director. An Electrophysiologist (EP) performs procedures to evaluate the electrical pathways of the heart to help determine the cause of heart rhythm disturbances, as well as the best procedure or device to treat heart rhythm problems.
“We are very excited for the CHRISTUS St. Michael EP Lab to be featured in EP Lab Digest because of what our lab means for this community,” said Dr. Hayes. “Having a dedicated EP Lab in Texarkana allows us to treat complex and life-altering heart rhythm problems with greater convenience to the patients and their family members. This means less time off work, less time driving to the nearest referral center, and specifically for family members, less time commuting back and forth between the hospital and their homes. Many of these patients have a long-standing relationship with the doctors and nurses at CHRISTUS St. Michael and will be much more comfortable having their procedures in a familiar place.”
You can view the article and interviews by clicking here!
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CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System, one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospital in the Nation by IBM Watson Health™, is nestled within over 128 acres of oak, pine, and dogwood trees along Interstate 30 in Texarkana, Texas. Its central location in Northeast Texas allows CHRISTUS St. Michael to serve residents of Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.
CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System includes a 311-bed acute care hospital, the 50-bed CHRISTUS St. Michael Rehabilitation Hospital, the 43-bed CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta, the W. Temple Webber Cancer Center, CHRISTUS St. Michael Imaging Center, CHRISTUS St. Michael Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, CHRISTUS St. Michael Day Rehabilitation; CHRISTUS St. Michael Wound Care Center; CHRISTUS St. Michael Health & Fitness Center, CHRISTUS St. Michael Outpatient Rehabilitation Center – Atlanta, CHRISTUS St. Michael Health & Fitness Center-Atlanta, and more.
Established in 1916 by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word as Michael Meagher Memorial Hospital, CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System focuses on the mission of “Extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.” CHRISTUS St. Michael offers comprehensive services ranging from specialized care for women and a Level III NICU to comprehensive cancer and heart services. CHRISTUS St. Michael is a recognized regional leader for general surgery, heart care, heart surgery, vascular surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, and cancer care. The Emergency Department, a Level III Trauma Center, treats an average of over 63,000 patients a year, more than any area ED. CHRISTUS St. Michael also holds ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) Accreditation.
The hospital provides quality, patient-centered care through programs such as our dedicated Primary Stroke Center recognized with The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval™ for Stroke; the Center for Joint Replacement, also recognized with The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval™ for Joint Replacement – Hip and Joint Replacement – Knee, and more.
CHRISTUS St. Michael is the region’s only NICHE designated hospital, demonstrating its commitment to elder care excellence, and only ACR designated Breast Imaging Center of Excellence.
