Our Services

CHRISTUS Regional Heart Center

Recognized for Cardiac Excellence

A good measure of quality is recognition from national and regional organizations that specialize in cardiology.

• CHRISTUS—St. Elizabeth was the recipient of the Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award™ in 2007 from HealthGrades™, an independent health care quality ratings service. Hospitals who received this honor were in the top tier in the cardiac surgery services ratings.
• CHRISTUS Hospital—St. Elizabeth is the only hospital in the region that is recognized by the American Heart Association as a Get with the Guidelines-Coronary Artery Disease hospital. This award recognizes St. Elizabeth's commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of cardiac care that effectively improves treatment of patients hospitalized with coronary artery disease. Learn more.
• CHRISTUS Hospital—St. Elizabeth has been designated a UnitedHealth Premium Cardiac Specialty Center in the clinical areas of Cardiac Surgery, Interventional Cardiac Care, and Cardiac Rhythm Management for United Healthcare's health benefit plans. The program identifies hospitals and specialists nationwide that are leaders in providing high-quality cardiac care. Learn more.
• CHRISTUS Hospital—St. Elizabeth and St. Mary received the Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award and is recognized for a commitment to improving the quality of medical care related to acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure, and pneumonia. These clinical areas have been designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Joint Commission, the nation’s predominant independent, non-profit, standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

CHRISTUS Regional Heart Center

To ensure our patients receive exceptional heart care, we have integrated our diagnostic, medical and surgical specialty services to form a comprehensive cardiology program to benefit the entire region—the CHRISTUS Regional Heart Center.

Our program begins in the Emergency Department. Using the Cardiac Alert program, we begin to evaluate and prepare to treat a patient with suspected heart attack even before the EMS vehicle reaches the hospital. As a certified Chest Pain Center, our ED professionals use their expertise in rapid assessment and treatment to save time, and save lives.

Advanced care in the Regional Heart Center is provided by board-certified physicians and other healthcare professionals highly trained in diagnostic and interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, cardiothoracic surgery, and critical care nursing. Working as a multi-disciplinary team, we provide the largest and most progressive cardiology program in the area.

Advanced catheterization labs at CHRISTUS employ the latest technology and a fully digital imaging chain with a high-resolution flat panel detector for digital radiography and digital subtraction angiography. Also available is rotational angiography for 3-D effect with speed of 60 degrees per second. The use of three-dimensional (3D) rotational angiography (RA) can be extremely useful to the interventional radiologist during catheterization when precise visualization of the vessels is required. CHRISTUS Cath labs also employ peripheral digital stepping technology with online subtraction. Images are stored in the most up-to-date format called PACS (Picture Archiving Communication System). All of this enables the physician to capture and view detailed images with minimum radiation exposure.

The CHRISTUS Hospital-St. Elizabeth Electrophysiology Lab also uses 3D mapping capability that enables the physician to isolate the source of cardiac arrhythmias. CHRISTUS Hospital-St. Elizabeth is the only facility in the area with this technology.

To support interventional and cardiothoracic surgery patients, St. Elizabeth and St. Mary provide:

• dedicated surgical suites with the latest cardiac surgical and monitoring equipment
• cardiovascular intensive care units (CICU) with a combined total of 55 beds
• coronary care units with a combined total of 96 telemetry beds.

In addition, our Critical Care Unit staff members have advanced training to handle all types of cardiac emergencies, including postoperative cardiac surgical care and rehabilitation.
From education and prevention to diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation, the CHRISTUS Regional Heart Center continues to address all aspects of cardiovascular health.

State-of-the-Art Procedures

• Balloon Angioplasty
• Atherectomy
  
• Electrophysiology
  
• Open-Heart Surgery
  
• Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery
• Acute Myocardial Infarction (heart attack)/Unstable Angina
• Beating Heart Bypass
• Catheter Ablation
• Stents
• Heart Valve Replacement
• Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators
• Pacemaker
• Echocardiogram
• Cardiac Catheterization (Click here for our Guide to Cardiac Catheterization)

Cardiac Rehabilitation

In an effort to speed your recovery and reduce your chances of future heart problems, CHRISTUS Hospital-St. Elizabeth and St. Mary have developed a comprehensive program of cardiac rehabilitation.

If you have had had a cardiac procedure, the first phase of our program begins while you are still in the hospital. Learn about Phase I Cardiac Rehab.

Our quality care continues even after you return home. The CHRISTUS Hospital-St. Elizabeth outpatient cardiac rehab program is the only program in the area that is certified through the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). We provide medically supervised exercise, nutrition and education to help you get back to normal activity. Learn about Phase II and III Cardiac Rehab.

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Convenient, free parking is available at all CHRISTUS Hospital—St. Elizabeth and St. Mary locations, and complimentary valet parking is available at St. Elizabeth's main entrance.