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Choosing the Best in Heart Care

From her office window, Judy Ritchie sees the future of cardiac care in central Illinois. She has a view of the Milestone Project construction site, where an expansion of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center is taking shape.

When the project is completed in 2010, all OSF Saint Francis Heart Hospital services will be under one roof. The Heart Hospital is an integral part of the Medical Center. “Our operations are now in a variety of buildings, so this new structure will be great for us,” says Ritchie, Chief Operating Officer of the Heart Hospital. “Patient care will be more streamlined. It’s really an exciting time for everyone in the Heart Hospital.”

A PROVEN TRACK RECORD

Streamlined care is more efficient care. At the Heart Hospital, that means building on nearly 40 years of consistent growth and improvements in diagnosing and treating heart problems. In fact, this kind of proven track record is an important factor when choosing a hospital for your or your family’s cardiac care.

Ritchie says the Heart Hospital attracts patients not only from the Peoria area, but also from the surrounding region. Here’s why:

National awards. The Heart Hospital has been named a Solucient Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospital and is Joint Commission–certified for heart attack care. The American Nurses Credentialing Center awarded OSF Saint Francis Medical Center its prestigious Magnet recognition for excellence in nursing practice—a status given to fewer than 2 percent of U.S. hospitals.

Experienced staff. A staff of 320 highly skilled medical professionals treat about 4,000 inpatients and make more than 30,000 outpatient contacts every year.

Outstanding facilities. Two intensive care units and two intermediate care telemetry units for a total of 95 inpatient beds, five cardiac catheterization labs (where doctors open blocked blood vessels and perform other procedures), and three cardiovascular operating rooms are available specifically for heart patients. Cardiac rehabilitation is also available at the hospital and the RiverPlex in Peoria.

Fast access. Heart Hospital patients benefit from Life Flight, Illinois’ busiest helicopter program, operated by OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. It transports more than 1,400 patients every year. Fast transport means quicker treatment and better outcomes. The Heart 777 program helps smaller community hospitals start treatment immediately and rapidly access helicopter service. And at the Heart Hospital, blood flow is restored to patients’ hearts 30 minutes faster than the national Joint Commission average.

Patient satisfaction. By actively measuring patient satisfaction, Heart Hospital officials continually look for ways to improve services for patients and their families. Quarterly reports from Press Ganey Associates, the nation’s leader in measuring patient satisfaction, show how to improve services for patients and their families.

KNOW YOUR RISK FACTORS

Knowing how to choose the right heart hospital for your needs is an important part of being a wise consumer. But so is knowing your risk factors for heart disease. “This is more important than ever for women,” says Ritchie. “Heart disease is still the number one killer of women in America, but survey after survey shows us that women do not know that.”

About 500,000 women die of heart disease in the U.S. every year, says Ritchie. “That figure should compel women to learn more about their risks.” It may be difficult in the beginning to adopt more heart-healthy habits, such as losing weight, exercising more, quitting smoking, and coping more effectively with stress. But the payoff can be feeling better and living longer.

Among the changes Ritchie has seen during her career in cardiac care is greater recognition by physicians that women have different heart attack symptoms from men. Instead of intense, crushing chest pain, women often have less acute signs, such as jaw pain or indigestion.

CARING FOR EVERYONE IN NEED

Ritchie has overseen operations for three years, but she has spent more than 20 years at the Heart Hospital. “I started out in intensive care nursing and worked up the management chain,” she says. She has a longtime interest in the impact that other illnesses or medical procedures can have on the heart and vice versa. “It’s fascinating and important.”

The combination of a dedicated staff and the Heart Hospital’s mission to care for those in need “make my job an exceptional experience,” says Ritchie.