Cardiac Care
Hendersonville Medical Center’s leadership in the cardiac care arena was established years ago when it was one of the first six hospitals in the country to use cardiac scanning technology for viewing plaque build-up in the heart through lightening-quick CT scans. Since then we’ve continued to raise the bar by outperforming the national door-to-balloon benchmark of 90 minutes both consistently and significantly with an average of 62 minutes. More than six years after we first gained recognition as an Accredited Chest Pain Center, we remain Sumner County’s only accredited chest pain center, boosting your chances for survival in a cardiac emergency by 37 percent.
We continue to work to enhance heart care in Sumner County by partnering with our local EMS teams, who have capabilities for 12-lead EKGs, sending us your heart tests from the ambulance when you’re on your way to us so that we can activate our cardiac cath lab and emergency services team. Likewise, with mobile therapeutic hypothermia units donated by Hendersonville Medical Center and Tennessee Heart and Vascular Institute, our EMS partners have another tool in their arsenal to save lives that could otherwise be lost to heart disease.
Our dedicated cardiac cath team together with our notable team of cardiologists who have literally written the book on heart care, we stand ready to combat the nation’s #1 cause of death – heart disease.
Early Cardiac Care
Heart attacks have beginnings.The "beginnings" of a heart attack occur in more than half of all patients. Most importantly, these symptoms can be treated before permanent damage occurs if recognized quickly.
- Heart disease caused one of every six deaths in the United States last year.
- In an average year, about 785,000 Americans will have a first heart attack, and estimated 470,000 will have a repeat heart attack.
- Every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event.
- Every minute, an American dies from a heart event.
What are the symptoms?
Some beginnings or symptoms could include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, shoulder or arm pain and weakness. These signs may occur hours or even weeks before a heart attack occurs.
What should we do?
- Learn the early signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
- Call 911 if you or a loved one are experiencing early heart attack symptoms.
- Share this information with others.
- Pledge to be a part of a movement to save hearts and lives.
Helpful information
Cardiac Calcium Scoring: In less than 10 minutes, this unique test can detect the slightest amount of calcification in the coronary arteries, which causes heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. Impressively, the scan's flawless view of the entire chest area gives physicians the ability to prevent heart damage, and in some cases reverse it.
Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA): Coronary CTA detects symptoms of coronary artery disease in patients who have had angioplasties, stents and bypass grafts. The major advantage of this treatment is its accuracy and effectiveness in diagnosing stenosis non-invasively. Because coronary CTA exceeds values typical for nuclear stress tests and stress echocardiograms, it may replace these tests in the future.
Cardiac Rehabilitation Center: The hospital has custom-designed a medically supervised rehabilitation program, centered on the needs of patients with significant risk factors for coronary heart disease. Beginning with a referral from the patient’s physician, the staff in the Cardiac Rehab Center establishes an individual exercise and dietary plan to help support a continued lifestyle change.
Accredited Chest Pain Center: The Society of Chest Pain Centers & Providers named Hendersonville Medical Center one of the first accredited Chest Pain Centers in the nation in 2004. This accreditation distinguishes the hospital’s emergency department services from others in rapid diagnosis and treatment of chest pain, assessment of patients, and training and competencies of personnel. Ultimately, it establishes the hospital as a leader in cardiovascular care in the community.
Cardiac Catheterization Lab: The cardiac cath lab, conveniently located near the emergency room, consists of a large suite with state-of-the-art equipment and technology. A second lab was opened in 2005 due to continued growth of the hospital’s cardiovascular program. Lab services involve the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease in addition to interventional treatments like angioplasty, stenting and pacemakers.
Thank you for choosing Hendersonville Medical Center. Please consider us for all your healthcare needs.
