1997 Annual Report

Board of Trustees Report to the Constituencies 1997

Heart Institute

Heart institute

Directed by Thomas Heywood, MD, the cardiomyopathy heart failure team is multidisciplinary specialized and committed to treating the heart-failure patient. Team members pictured (from left) are: Linda Feenstra, RRT, NMS; Bonnie Huiskes, APN; Stephanie Ellenberger, RNP; Patricia Applegate, MD; Sharon Fabbri, RNP; Thomas Heywood, MD; Gary Pauls, MD; Donna Schmidt, RN; Becky Case; Megan Capen; Lee Ann Hawkins, RNP; and Debora Mahar.

Mission
Loma Linda International Heart Institute, the outpatient office practice for LLU faculty cardiac physicians and the cardiac product-line of LLUMC, opened in 1987 when faculty cardiac physicians moved their private practice offices from the Faculty Medical Offices to the Medical Center’s Schuman Pavilion.

Though the cardiothoracic surgeons (5), adult cardiologists (20), and pediatric cardiologists (4) maintain relationships with their parent departments (surgery, internal medicine, and pediatrics, respectively), it is their commitment to work as an integrated cardiac specialty team with LLUMC to fulfill their vision: to provide comprehensive cardiac care to patients of all ages through compassionate patient-centered care, innovation, education, and research.

1997 highlights
Cardiac surgery

Coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG): 461
Congenital heart surgeries: 320
Valve replacements/repairs: 210
Heart transplants: 31
Total cardiopulmonary bypass procedures: 898; pediatric: 212
Minimally invasive techniques used for CABG and valve surgeries, transmyocardial revascularization
National leader in reduction of cost and length of stay

Invasive cardiology

Coronary stents: 254
Angioplasty—PTCA (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty): 253
Valvuloplasty: 34
Cardiac biopsy: 381
Diagnostic cardiac catheterizations: 2,280; pediatric: 178
Total cardiovascular procedures: 3,182; pediatric: 421

Diagnostic cardiology

Echocardiograms: 10,190; pediatric: 5,135
Cardiac stress tests: 2,632; pediatric: 200

Outpatient office

Outpatient visits: 23,601
Pacemaker clinic & telephone follow-up: 4,437
Adult cardiology office opened in Yucaipa; pediatric cardiology to open in Victorville early 1999

Electrophysiology/arrhythmia

Catheter ablations: 98
ICD (implantable cardiac defibrillator) implants: 66
Electrophysiology (EPS) procedures: 147
Permanent pacemakers: 165

Adult cardiomyopathy/heart failure program

One-year actuarial survival, 92 to 94 percent
Average hospital admissions per patient reduced to 0.18 admissions per patient per year (80 percent below the United States average)

Emergency Cardiac Care Center volumes have increased since its opening in 1993. In 1997, there were 2,306 patients (up 50 percent) with 2,022 admissions (up 117 percent), despite 108 days of cardiac diversion (184 percent more days than in 1996).

Research: heart failure, arrhythmia, electrophysiology, implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD), pacemakers, echocardiography, hyperlipidemia, cardiac intervention, valve repair, ventricular reduction, congenital heart surgery, transplantation

Professional cardiac conferences presented in 1997

Third International Conference on Pediatric Heart & Lung Transplantation
9th Annual Cardiology Symposium—Advances in the Management of Cardiomyopathy & Heart Failure
Cardiac Nursing Conference—“Heart Failure: What’s New? What Works?”

Mended Hearts, Loma Linda chapter

25th anniversary dinner celebration
The chapter newsletter, Heart Monitor, received a national award for the fourth consecutive year.
Monthly lecture series open to the public
Volunteer members continue to provide visits and educational materials to heart patients.
Donated funds support a “heart” library for patients.

Community outreach and education

During Take Heart ’97 Celebrating Heart Month, 11 topics were presented in 20 sessions, reaching more than 1,000 individuals.
Free health and blood pressure screenings were offered during National Stroke & High Blood Pressure Month.
American Heart Association Heart Ride
Kids Care Fair, Children’s Day, and Health Fair Expo: free educational materials and heart risk factor screenings
Speakers bureau for schools, churches, and civic organizations