The Ed Roberson Heart Center at Houston Northwest Medical Center offers a variety of cardiac services ranging from Diagnostic Heart Caths to complicated balloon angioplasty and stents. The Center also provides specialized care for patients who have had angioplasty or stents in a observation unit.
Heart Disease - Number One Killer Among Americans
With cardiovascular disease leading as the number one killer of Americans, finding a hospital that provides comprehensive cardiovascular care can mean the difference between life and death. “Time is muscle” is a true statement when dealing with heart muscle. A heart attack occurs when a clot blocks an artery in the heart, which cuts off blood flow and oxygen to heart tissue below the clot.
Houston Northwest Medical Center has a dedicated group of cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists, nurses, and technicians that operate as a synchronized team designed to reduce the amount of time it takes to have that blood flow restored. Quick recognition followed by rapid response of the emergency team allows heart attack victims to obtain a diagnostic heart catheterization in a matter of minutes. Based on findings, life saving interventions are performed and blood flow is restored which reduces, or in some cases avoids, damage to heart muscle.
How do you measure the success of such a program?
Nationally, hospitals are measured by what is known as “door-to-balloon time”. This is the total amount of time it takes a hospital to restore blood flow once a heart attack victim arrives in the emergency room. Houston Northwest Medical Center is proud to report that since January, 2007, an amazing 88% of eligible patients had blood flow restored in less than 90 minutes! For March, 2008, the average door-to-balloon time was 51 minutes!
Realizing all heart attacks do not happen in the hospital, Houston Northwest Medical Center and Cypress Creek Emergency Medical Services (CCEMS) joined forces and formed the STEMI Program. STEMI is the acronym for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, a severe heart attack caused by a prolonged period of blocked blood supply that affects a large area of the heart. The STEMI Program uses innovative protocols which have helped improve response mechanisms designed to decrease door-to-balloon time. If a patient experiencing a STEMI calls 911 and is brought to Houston Northwest Medical Center by Cypress Creek EMS, the goal is for the patient to go directly to the heart catheterization suite as soon as they arrive at the hospital. Because of this collaborative effort, current statistics show some patients have restoration of blood flow in less than 90 minutes from the time they make the call to 911!
Houston Northwest Medical Center’s ability to quickly recognize and treat patients suffering from a heart attack has earned them the distinction of being recognized as an Accredited Chest Pain Center. To receive accreditation, a hospital must undergo a site evaluation by reviewers from the Society of Chest Pain Center, who use a set of stringent criteria which were developed using recommendations from the American Heart Association, The American College of Cardiology and other organizations dedicated to reducing heart attack deaths. Currently, Houston Northwest Medical Center is accredited at the highest level -- our commitment to provide the highest quality, patient-focused healthcare is proven.
Recognized Leader In Cardiac Care
Houston Northwest Medical Center is a recognized leader in cardiac care. Houston Northwest Medical Center is a designated UnitedHealthcare Premium Cardiac Specialty Center and a designated Accredited Chest Pain Center.