What does the phrase “destination health care” bring to mind?
For a growing number of people in Arizona and the Southwest it means heart care, patient blood management or both of these specialized programs, provided by Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC).
Cardiac specialists from the James Family Heart Center at YRMC and leaders from YRMC Patient Blood Management (PBM) joined a live-stream event on Oct. 17 at Yavapai College Performing Arts Center.
YRMC – Your Destination for Cardiac Care and Blood Management featured exceptional cardiac specialists: a cardiologist, cardiac electrophysiologist, cardiothoracic surgeon and a structural and interventional cardiologist. Patient blood management experts also took part in the event. Together, these professionals highlighted the services, technology and teamwork that are the hallmark of YRMC’s Heart Program and Patient Blood Management Program.
“Neither of these programs existed 12 years ago,” said YRMC’s James Family Heart Center and Patient Blood Management Program Medical Director Pierre Tibi, M.D., FACS. “Today, there is no other community hospital in Arizona or the southwest that offers what YRMC does. We are now a destination program for cardiac care and PBM.”
Defining PBM
Until recently, prestigious organizations like the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management (SABM), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Association Blood Banks (AABB) all mentioned blood transfusions in their PBM definitions.
“They focused on thresholds for blood transfusion,” said Dr. Tibi, SABM’s immediate past president. “Today, the SABM definition states that PBM is a patient-centered approach that aims to improve patient outcomes.”
At YRMC, this is accomplished by:
Involving the patient in decision making.
Identifying anemia and other conditions early.
Managing conditions that can affect blood count.
Minimizing blood loss during hospitalization.
Embracing PBM tactics throughout the organization.
“We focus on taking care of the entire patient and keeping the patient as safe as possible before, during and after a procedure,” said YRMC Patient Blood Management Coordinator Dale Black. “And one way to keep patients safe is to not subject them to possibly unnecessary blood transfusions.”
What Your Heart Needs
YRMC President and CEO John Amos recalled the beginning of YRMC’s heart services, which launched in 2004 with a single Cardiac Catheterization Lab at YRMC West in Prescott.
“Even then, we envisioned a Heart Program that would bring together the latest services, exceptional specialists, unparalleled technology and compassionate caregivers,” said Amos.
YRMC took a major step toward that goal in 2007 when Dr. Tibi – a highly regarded Phoenix cardiothoracic surgeon – joined YRMC. Tibi brought open heart surgery to the community, launched YRMC’s Heart Program and introduced PBM.
Under Tibi’s leadership, YRMC’s thriving, comprehensive Heart Program has grown to feature these services and exceptional cardiac specialists:
Structural Heart Disease Services: Structural and Interventional Cardiologist Soundos Moualla, M.D., FACC, FSCAI, with YRMC PhysicianCare
Mitral Valve Repair with MitraClip
Paravalvular Leak Closure (PVL)
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR)
WATCHMAN™/Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC)
Electrophysiology Services: Cardiac Electrophysiologist Nisha Tung-Takher, M.D., with YRMC PhysicianCare
Curative Management and Ablation Procedures for Cardiac Arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, atrial tachycardia, premature ventricular contractions and ventricular tachycardia)
Device Implantations (pacemakers and defibrillators)
Remote Monitoring (pacemakers, defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy)
Heart Failure Management
Care with Compassion
YRMC’s Heart Program and PBM Program combine science and service, according to George Rizk, MD, with Invasive Cardiovascular Medicine at YRMC PhysicianCare in Prescott.
“YRMC is doing what’s best for patients,” said Dr. Rizk, who presented during the live-stream event. “If you deliver the most scientifically advanced services without putting the patient’s interest first, you don’t get too far. YRMC’s team has a passion for helping patients.”
One way that YRMC does what is best for patients was described by YRMC’s Patient Blood Management Data Manager Elizabeth Black. In the tradition of health care and acronyms, she called it “KTBITP,” or “keeping the blood in the patient.”
Less than a decade ago, Black noted, a blood transfusion was the most common procedure performed in U.S. hospitals. While some blood transfusions are deemed medically necessary, she said, they all come with risks. Those risks include increased infection rates, medical complications (kidney, lung and heart), and higher death rates.
PBM strategies combine evidence-based medicine with good clinical practice to maximize the patient’s blood health and reduce exposure to risks associated with transfusion.
To learn more about YRMC – Your Destination for Cardiac Care and Blood Management check out YRMCHealthConnect.org. For information about YRMC’s Heart Program and PBM Program, visit YRMC.org and go to “Medical Services.” QCBN
By Bridget O’Gara
Bridget O’Gara is a writer, communications strategist and project manager who specializes in health care. She works with mission-driven healthcare organizations, including hospitals, other healthcare providers and advocacy organizations.
Leave a Reply