What is the size of your EP lab facility and number of staff members? What is the mix of credentials at your lab?
We have four electrophysiologists, two EP fellows, two procedure lab RNs, four procedure lab cardiovascular technicians (all from an accredited CVT Program), one RN coordinator, and one nurse practitioner.

When was the EP lab started at your institution?
The electrophysiology service was started in 1990. During these last four years, we have built two new EP labs.

What types of procedures are performed at your facility?
We perform radiofrequency (RF) ablations, cryoablations, irrigated RF ablations, non-contact and magnetic mapping, intracardiac echo, pacemaker/ICD implants and revisions, and tilt table testing. We also act as a referral center for a large portion of the southeastern United States for atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablations.

Approximately how many are performed each week?
We perform approximately 15 cases per week.

Who manages your EP lab?
The Cardiac Cath Lab Director manages the EP lab.

Is the EP lab separate from the cath lab? How long has this been? Are employees cross-trained?
The EP lab is located adjacent to the adult and pediatric cath labs. The EP lab has a dedicated staff but can cross-cover in all areas of the cath lab. We have had dedicated staffing in the EP lab for approximately 1 year.

Do you have cross training inside the EP lab? What are the regulations in your state?
All EP staff members are cross-trained to perform both devices and ablations; they rotate from area to area on a monthly basis. The technical aspects of EP are performed by CVTs, while the nurses are responsible for patient care, medication administration, patient assessment and cardioversion/defibrillation.

What are some of the new equipment, devices and products introduced at your lab lately? How has this changed the way you perform those procedures?
We have incorporated cryoablation, intracardiac echocardiography, and epicardial ablation. These technologies facilitate the performance of complex procedures.

Is your EP lab filmless, or does it plan to become filmless in the future?
The EP lab is totally filmless, and all images are stored via deep archive.
Who handles your procedure scheduling? Do you use a particular software?
We have a RN coordinator who schedules patients. We currently utilize a manual scheduling system.

What type of quality control and quality assurance measures are practiced in your EP lab?
We review select cases for evaluation in our quarterly Cardiology QA meetings. We also audit patient and medication safety compliance as well as all JCAHO regulations.

How is inventory managed at your EP lab? Who handles the purchasing of equipment and supplies?
The senior EP tech, in collaboration with the Cath Lab Director and Inventory Coordinator, manage, purchase and evaluate all supplies and equipment for the electrophysiology lab.

Has your EP lab recently expanded in size and patient volume?
The EP lab added a second room a year ago to meet the increased volume.