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Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Fort Worth People
PEOPLE
Key to the patient experience is the clinical team involved in the day-to-day operations and care of patients . The Fort Worth team has high nursing retention and includes a skilled team of acute care nurse practitioners who work closely with the cardiologists on the medical staff to provide individualized cardiovascular care .
Learning opportunities occurred throughout fiscal year 2020 with the help of the medical staff and clinical leaders for not only the cardiovascular team but also for the staff of Baylor Scott & White – Fort Worth , as well as educational offerings for area EMS and first responders . The Structural Heart Disease Program meetings , including the Valve Disorders Center as well as the Echocardiography Conferences provide regular opportunities for individual case reviews . These sessions are always open to any clinical team member at the Fort Worth campus .
NON-INVASIVE CARDIAC SERVICES
The capabilities of the experienced team within the non-invasive cardiac services department in Fort Worth include the ability to use sophisticated , non-invasive methods and technologies to help diagnose heart disease and provide diagnostic insights for the medical staff in their treatment of cardiovascular patients . Non-invasive cardiology services include exercise stress tests , Holter monitoring , pharmacological / exercise stress echocardiograms , transthoracic echocardiograms , and transesophageal echocardiograms . In fiscal year 2020 , more than 6,000 total non-invasive cardiac procedures were performed .
CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY
As a part of the comprehensive cardiovascular services on the Fort Worth campus , the electrophysiology ( EP ) program and the associated electrophysiologists on the medical staff are known for their expertise in treating all types of heart rhythm disorders from arrhythmia to atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia .
As part of the EP program on the Fort Worth campus , electrophysiologists continue to be known for their ability to provide left atrial appendage closure device ( LAAO ) as a treatment option . Implanted in patients with atrial fibrillation using a minimally invasive technique , over time , patients were able to decrease the amount of blood thinner medication taken as prescribed by the patient ’ s provider .
The LAAO device is suitable for patients with nonvalvular AFib who :
• Are at increased risk for stroke and systemic embolism based on CHADS2 or CHADS2-VASc scores and are recommended for anticoagulation therapy
• Have an appropriate rationale to seek a nonpharmacologic alternative to oral anticoagulation , taking into account the safety and effectiveness of the device compared to warfarin
Electrophysiologists on the medical staff received patient referrals from throughout the region for precise diagnosis and treatment using ablation therapy . The use of advanced mapping systems for signal analysis coupled with the experience of the electrophysiologists results in a more accurate identification of the abnormal rhythm circuit , eliminating it both safely and effectively .
Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital - Fort Worth continues to see a strong volume of implantable cardioverter defibrillators ( ICDs ) and cardiac resynchronization therapy ( CRT ). Highlights for the department include :
• MRI compatible ICDs are routinely used , allowing patients and their physicians to use this modality for diagnostic imaging even after ICD implantation .
• Available CRT devices provide multipoint pacing , a “ next generation ” form of CRT that paces the ventricles from three sites instead of two . This form of pacing has been shown to increase the clinical response rate of heart failure patients in early clinical trials .
• Treatment options include leadless pacemakers that are implanted using femoral access and are entirely contained within the heart itself .
Nursing retention ( FY20 ):
> 85 %
RNs with at least one national certification :
> 60 %