The all-digital Oklahoma Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City takes many steps in making things easier for the staff in the cath and EP labs. Perhaps you will be able to apply some of their techniques to your EP lab!

The Oklahoma Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City opened in August of 2002 as the first all-digital hospital in the state likely the first in the nation and is among only a handful of such facilities worldwide. A partnership between Mercy Health Center and Oklahoma Cardiovascular Associates, the $75-million, 204,000-square-foot building was designed every step of the way with the heart patient in mind.

More than 60 million people in the United States suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association. Unfortunately, Oklahoma ranks second in the nation in deaths from cardiovascular disease. Although no one is certain why the heart disease mortality rate is so high, it appears that Oklahomans smoke more, exercise less and eat poorly.

At the Oklahoma Heart Hospital, our team of cardiologists, heart surgeons and healthcare professionals is making great strides in decreasing heart disease in Oklahoma. We ve seen technology play a major role in providing the best possible cardiac-focused patient care.

We are a paperless and filmless facility that provides instant access to all patient records and medical images throughout the hospital and at remote locations. The Oklahoma Heart Hospital also provides:

A maximum of four patients to one nurse. That ratio provides the flexibility to create more intimate care and allows nurses to be assigned based upon patients needs.

A critical path from the emergency room to the cath lab, to the operating room in 45 minutes. That s crucial considering that the national average time from the ER to surgery is more than two hours.

Patient rooms that double as critical care rooms so patients aren t needlessly transported from one place to the next. Studies show that when patients are moved, it creates stress.

An atmosphere that welcomes family members. Every patient room is equipped so one family member can stay overnight (even critical care patients). There are also no restrictive visiting hours at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital.

Designed with the process of cardiovascular care in mind, we have 78 in-patient private rooms, 15 day-patient beds, three open-heart operating rooms, one peripheral vascular operating suite, four catheterization laboratories and one electrophysiology lab. The third floor is designed as a clinic, containing 24 physician offices and 36 exam rooms, as well as imaging and diagnostic procedure rooms. We have 34 physicians who practice in the cath labs and a mix of respiratory therapists, nurses and cardiovascular technologists.

Oklahoma Heart Hospital utilizes unique technologies, including continuous monitoring systems that are adaptable to each patient s needs. This technology positively impacts our hospital s ability to improve efficiencies, and ensure patient information is available where and when it s needed.