Appalachian Regional Healthcare Heart and Vascular Center By Kim S. Davis
Often linked to our strongest sentiments, the fist-sized heart muscle pumps blood to all parts of the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients. You might not realize how truly valuable it is to have high quality heart and vascular care close to home unless you or a loved one has experienced issues with the heart. But if you have, then you understand the need to rapidly deal with this life-giving organ that Greek philosophers first granted a dominant role in core emotions such as love, fear, anger, rage and pain. When you hear that you have an issue with the heart, all of these feelings may come into play, and easy access to high quality cardiology care becomes more important. That is why Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) prioritized the growth and expansion of their Heart and Vascular program. Their recently expanded Heart and Vascular Center, prominently located in the front of the Watauga Medical Center (WMC), is committed to providing expedited diagnosis and treatment of heart and vascular disease right here in the High Country. The ARHS Heart and Vascular Center has several highly regarded board certified specialists providing comprehensive care, while continually recruiting top cardiologists to expand choices for patients. Additionally, there are dedicated professionals available around the clock in their 24-hour catheterization lab. When dealing with heart issues, time is of the essence and having such exceptional state-of-the-art services close to home is vital for improving the quality of life for area residents and visitors. By synthesizing outpatient heart care and diagnostic services in the same location, ARHS offers a collaborative approach that is unique to the region. Instead of having to travel off the mountain to larger cities with mega-centers and multiple providers, patients can stay close to home and receive more personalized care with first-rate doctors and staff. As Caleb Ahrns, Practice Manager for the Heart and Vascular Center states, “Here patients receive the best of both worlds, excellent service
and a personal touch. Our providers know who their patients are and what transpired when they last saw them, and they develop relationships that are a critical component of staying healthy. All of our providers and staff are focused and dedicated because they value the community.” Because of the proximity to a patient’s home, Heart and Vascular Center professionals are also able to offer support to families, because heart illness impacts all who care about the patient. One of the exceptional services provided at the Watauga Medical Center Heart and Vascular Center is the 24/7 cardiovascular lab. With an interventional cardiologist available around the clock, patients do not have to travel far for a heart emergency. Additionally, the lab has received recognition for its rapid door-to-balloon time response. Door-to-balloon time is a national metric for treatment of heart attacks. It considers the time between when a patient arrives in the emergency room until the time the balloon is inflated within the blocked coronary artery. The national recommended doorto-balloon time is ninety minutes and the WMC cardiovascular lab has an accelerated sixty-minute time. In addition to general cardiology services, such as consultations, diagnostics, echocardiograms (EKGs), exercise stress testing, nuclear stress testing, coronary pressure wire, and heart failure services, the Heart and Vascular Center at Watauga Medical Center provides interventional cardiology and device management. There are multiple device rooms where, to-date, 2,300 patients have been seen to check and monitor their cutting-edge pacemakers; ARHS is one of only a few providers in North Carolina able to offer this newest technology. ARHS also implants and supports Afib monitors, defibrillators, and heart monitors, as well as coronary stents and coronary angioplasty. After receiving a device, patients go home nearby, with continuous monitoring and a plan of care. The number of patients seen recently shows that even with COVID fears, High Country residents understand that you
should not delay when taking care of your heart. And ARHS is extremely dedicated to the safety of its patients. They utilize all of the CDC precautions and employ leading edge PPE (personal protective equipment). Furthermore, the Heart and Vascular Center is located separately from other areas of the hospital. Even with all of the ARHS Heart and Vascular Program growth, further expansion is on the horizon. This summer, the footprint will extend into Ashe County, with the ARHS Heart and Vascular Center-Ashe opening, meaning more efficient and convenient access to top quality heart care in neighboring counties. Throughout all of the growth and expansion at ARHS, patients can be assured that their care is the main focus of the award-winning healthcare system. Receiving the Gold Seal of Approval and advanced certification for Chest Pain by the Joint Commission, along with a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, a 5-star rating for Treatment of Heart Attack, and a 5-star rating for the Treatment of Heart Failure, the local health care team is highly capable of meeting patient needs. Furthermore, their equipment is top notch, indicated by the Echocardiogram Labs being certified by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission in Echocardiography for Cardiac Imaging Excellence. Additionally, Watauga Medical Center earned the 2020 Coronary Intervention Excellence Award from Healthgrades and was ranked in the top 10 percent in the nation. While the heart emoji may only be a metaphor for love, it helps express that often indescribable and undefinable emotion. So if you care about those you love, the best thing you can do is take care of yourself and your heart health. And with first-class heart and vascular care located right here in the High Country, you can safely and efficiently deal with any heart issue that arises without having to leave your mountain community.
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Spring 2022 —
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