News

Methodist Medical Center treats all aspects of heart disease. Our quality care begins with the human touch - dedicated cardiologists, nurses and technicians. They combine extensive skills with the latest technology in bypass surgery, angioplasty, stenting, emergency treatment and rehabilitation.

When It's a Heart Attack, Minutes Matter
At Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, patients seeking emergency care for a heart attack receive life-saving interventions, on average, in less than 65 minutes – that’s 25 minutes faster than the national goal.


	Methodist Medical Center consistently followed the treatment guidelines in ACTION Registry^®-GWTG^TM for eight consecutive quarters in ACTION Registry-GWTG Premier and met a performance standard of 90% for specific performance measures to receive this 2012 award. CLICK HERE to read more.

Methodist Medical Center is also one of only 164 hospitals in the nation to receive the American College of Cardiology Foundation’s 2012 Platinum Performance Award for implementing “a higher standard of care” for patients who have suffered a heart attack. Methodist earned the organization’s Gold Performance Award in 2011. The Platinum award is the highest level achievable.

Methodist is a Covenant Health "valve center" and offers the full continuum of heart-related care:

Urgent Care

One of the first chest pain centers in the area
Average door-to-balloon times of 65 minutes (compared to national goal of 90 minutes)
One of only two hospitals in Tennessee recognized for heart care by the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline™ Program in an August 2010 issue of US News and World Report
First hospital in the area to implement a hypothermia protocol which lowers a patient’s body temperature after cardiac arrest to reduce the risk of brain damage.

Diagnostic

Echocardiography lab

Cardiac stress lab

64-slice CT which can capture images of the heart and coronary arteries in as little as five heartbeats

Surgical Procedures

All open-heart procedures including multi-vessel coronary artery bypass

Endoscopic vein harvesting

Mini-Maze, a minimally invasive procedure for treatment of atrial fibrillation

Interventional

Cardiac catherization lab

Electrophysiology services

Minimally invasive transradial procedures, which are currently utilized by only 5% of medical centers nationwide
Only medical center in East Tennessee using the Impella device, the world’s smallest heart pump, for cardio septic shock and in high-risk heart procedures

Robotics

Da Vinci robotics system available to cardiovascular surgeons who can perform procedures such as repairing faulty heart valves laparoscopically rather than through an incision and subsequent opening of the patient's chest.
First in East Tennessee to repair a hole in the heart robotically.

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehab in Methodist’s 5,000 square foot facility offers an individualized plan of monitored exercise and education in a medically supervised environment.

Chest Pain Center

Patients with chest pains receive noninvasive cardiac monitoring and 24-hour nurse observation. They remain as long as necessary in a safe, quiet, comfortable environment. The Chest Pain Center is located in part of the Emergency Department.

Covenant Health hospitals are leaders in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac-related health issues. Learn more about Cardiac Care and a new procedure called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, or TAVR.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010 - Methodist first in East TN to add new heart mapping system

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge has become the first hospital in East Tennessee to use the new EnSite Velocity™ Cardiac Mapping System. The system incorporates technological advances that help physicians visualize and guide treatments for abnormal heart rhythms.

Certain types of heart rhythm disorders are caused by small areas of abnormal heart tissue that interrupt the heart’s normal electrical signals. To diagnose and treat these conditions, the physician must know exactly where the abnormal tissue is located. With cardiac mapping, he or she inserts several long, flexible tubes with wires – called electrode catheters – into the patient’s heart. These catheters track or stimulate the heart’s signals and help the physician pinpoint the problem areas.

"Physicians can collect and display more patient information in a shorter amount of time,” said triple-boarded cardiologist Greg Olsovsky, M.D., medical director of Methodist’s new electrophysiology (EP) services. “The system also provides real-time, side-by-side views of the live procedure and previously recorded portions of the procedure, and patients receive less radiation because the system enables the physician to watch the catheter movement without the use of x-ray. “

The relevant information is conveniently placed on one screen in a streamlined format, allowing the doctor to focus his or her attention where it should be – on the patient.

"By creating a highly detailed, three-dimensional model of the patient’s heart, the system enables physicians to locate the source of the problem and determine a treatment strategy more quickly,” added Dr. Olsovsky.

The EnSite Velocity System is used during minimally invasive EP procedures at Methodist Medical Center. Methodist offers a full range of heart-related care and services, including the area’s first chest pain center, a powerful 64-slice CT that can capture images of the heart in just five heartbeats and a da Vinci® surgical robotics system.

The hospital’s cardiac quality outcomes are recognized nationally and in many areas rank better than Top 100 benchmark heart hospitals.