Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast announced a major expansion of its heart and vascular services. In addition to the current cardiac diagnostic procedures, the hospital is now providing life-saving interventional procedures, such as angioplasty and stent implantation to open blocked coronary arteries.
“The addition of a dedicated Heart and Vascular Center will enable us to save more lives and enhance the quality of life for many Emerald Coast residents.” Roger Hall, President of Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast, said. “The addition of these services is an integral part of our efforts to improve the health of the community at large.”
In addition to elective interventional procedures, Sacred Heart’s Emergency Department is now equipped to respond immediately to cardiac emergencies 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year. Sacred Heart is the first hospital in Walton County to provide this level of care.
“When you’re having a heart attack, minutes matter. A timely response in restoring normal blood flow to the heart is critical to saving lives,” Nina Jeffords, RN, Sacred Heart Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer, said. “With the addition of these interventional procedures, we can now respond immediately to relieve the blockage and prevent irreversible damage to the heart muscle.”
The hospital received state approval to begin offering interventional services on June 17 and performed the first interventional procedure in September. Sacred Heart’s interventional team is led by Ajay Labroo, MD, a board certified interventional cardiologist, who joined the medical group in January. Dr. Labroo practices with Dr. Angel Morrobel and Dr. Stephen Phlaum in the Medical Office Building adjacent to the hospital.
The new Heart and Vascular Center will increase the quality of heart and vascular services available closer to home, while continuing to provide a seamless connection to Sacred Heart Regional Heart and Vascular Institute in Pensacola.
Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast is a 58-bed hospital located just east of Destin in Miramar Beach. Since opening its doors to patient care in January 2003, the not-for-profit hospital has grown steadily and continues to fulfill its mission to improve the health of the community at large, with special attention to service of the poor. The hospital was named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Thomson Reuters in 2009 and was also among 23 hospitals in the country to receive the Everest Award for National Benchmarks.
For more information about Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast, please call (850) 278-3600 or visit www.sacredheartemerald.org . For more information about the heart and vascular services offered at Sacred Heart, please call (850) 267-1603