From the desk of Kim Deppert, MBA, MCM, associate executive director for Cardiovascular Services
As we celebrate Heart Month this February, it seems the perfect time to take a moment to reflect on PPMC’s extraordinary heart and vascular programs. In the past year alone, there has been a 10 percent increase in patient visits, and we’re continuing to grow in order to fulfill the needs of our community. From actively recruiting four new doctors to shorten wait times, to renovating the Heart and Vascular Pavilion to ensure streamlined care with a patient-friendly layout, our team is committed to providing patients and their families with an efficient, comfortable experience.
What truly differentiates PPMC’s cardiovascular services is our 24/7 rescue programs. For ten years, our heart rescue team has worked with PennSTAR to rapidly coordinate the transport of patients experiencing heart attacks and cardiac emergencies from neighboring institutions to PPMC for care. As a leader in the region, we continue to strive to shorten “door-to-balloon” times and to provide excellent, fast-tracked care.
Our lung rescue team also ensures that patients receive the best possible care even before they arrive at PPMC. As the only program in the area that can initiate extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to stabilize patients experiencing respiratory failure before they’re transported, PPMC has maintained a 76 percent rate of survival to discharge.
Our multidisciplinary pulmonary embolism response (PERT) team also provides expedited care to patients. Whether a patient with acute pulmonary embolism requires thrombolysis to dissolve a clot, an embolectomy, or a hybrid treatment, every member of the cath lab team has been trained in these protocols in order to provide comprehensive, highly individualized care.
The success of our ever-evolving rescue programs and other services relies on our incredible staff mobilizing the necessary resources, leveraging the expertise of each team member, and communicating effectively and quickly. This Heart Month, I encourage everyone to recognize the advances and accomplishments of our team — and the heart they put into each patient’s care.