The Heart Institute of Florida at North Shore Medical Center FMC Campus has cared for patients with cardiovascular disease since performing the first open heart surgery in Broward County in 1974.
Since this time, heart disease has become the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. and is also a major cause of disability. Throughout the hospital’s history, the community surrounding FMC Campus has been and continues to be significantly affected by heart disease. Therefore, the hospital’s focus to build on its legacy of providing quality and cutting-edge heart care has remained consistent over the years.
“As medicine advances, we need to advance with it,” says Ben Rodriguez, Chief Administrative Officer of North Shore Medical Center FMC Campus. “FMC Campus is committed to our local community by expanding our cardiac service lines to better diagnose and treat cardiac conditions.”
Smart Business spoke with Rodriguez about the importance of cardiovascular care.
How did FMC Campus earn its reputation as being a leading hospital for cardiovascular care in Broward County?
FMC Campus established the Heart Institute of Florida, which is renowned for its commitment and success in implementing a high standard of cardiac care that effectively improves treatment of patients hospitalized with heart disease. The hospital has also been able to retain and continue to recruit talented and experienced cardiologists, vascular and thoracic surgeons and other specialists that employ some of the latest technology to perform a broad range of cardiac procedures.
For example, FMC Campus was one of the first two hospitals in Florida to offer cutting-edge 80-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) technology. This advanced system measures electrical impulses throughout the entire heart, as opposed to a traditional 12-lead ECG, which only scans the frontal portion. This offers a quicker, less invasive solution for difficult-to-diagnose heart attack patients than do the echocardiogram and blood tests used by many hospitals. Most importantly, the use of this advanced technology reduces the patient’s future risk of congestive heart failure.
The medical staff closely follows the American Heart Association’s recommended treatment guidelines to help reduce the likelihood of future heart attacks in cardiac patients by implementing life-prolonging treatments. For instance, patients may be started on aggressive risk reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, aspirin, ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers in the hospital and receive smoking cessation/weight management counseling as well as referrals for cardiac rehabilitation before they are discharged.
