What is the size of your EP lab facility? What is the mix of credentials at your lab?

Deborah has just expanded and built an entire electrophysiology suite consisting of a six-bed admission/recovery area and three labs. Construction was just completed on the three new labs. The first has a biplane Siemens fluoroscopy system and will primarily be utilized for complex ablation procedures and device implants. The second is a single-plane Siemens fluoroscopy room primarily utilized for device implantation. The third and final lab is equipped with Siemens fluoroscopy as well as a Stereotaxis system, and will be used for complex ablation procedures.

Our lab staff consists of eight Registered Nurses (RNs), two licensed Practical Nurses, two Cardiovascular Techs, and one Radiology Tech.

When was EP started at your institution?

The electrophysiology services here began in 1985, and were comprised mostly of serial drug testing as well as the first ablation performed in the state of New Jersey. Today, the electrophysiology department is divided into several components, including interventional, clinical, and consultative, which combined to form the Electromechanical Therapy Institute at Deborah Heart and Lung Center.

What types of procedures are performed at your facility? Approximately how many are performed each week?

Deborah performs approximately 2,468 procedures per year. This includes tilt table testing, cardioversions, diagnostic EP studies, SVT ablations, atrial fibrillation (AF) ablations, pacemaker and AICD implantation, and CRT therapy. In addition, we have a full-time device clinic, which follows approximately 5,565 devices annually.

Who manages your EP lab?

Our nurse manager is Rose Tuck, who oversees the day-to-day operations and staffing of the clinical labs as well as the device clinic. She reports directly to the director, Dr. Corbisiero.

Is the EP lab separate from the cath lab? Are employees cross trained?

The majority of the clinical EP staff is dedicated. There have been some employees cross trained to provide support and coverage. The device clinic has a separate dedicated staff.

How is your procedure scheduling handled?

The patients are contacted and given instructions through the EP secretaries prior to admission. All preliminary reports and tests are ordered and collected for the patient’s admission. The day-to-day schedule is directed by the physicians based on patient needs, staffing, and the case complexity. This is a dynamic and collaborative effort between the electrophysiologist and lab staff.

What new equipment, devices and/or products have been introduced at your lab lately? How has this changed the way you perform those procedures?

With the addition of our new labs, we selected Stereotaxis equipment for one lab. This technology will help us in our complex ablation procedures, especially during our atrial fibrillation ablations. This technology is innovative and should help us improve our procedure times while reducing risks to our patients. Additionally, we have an EnSite system (St. Jude Medical), which will also benefit us in a similar fashion.

What type of quality control/quality assurance measures are practiced in your EP lab?

Each quarter, we have a review of radiation safety, Joint Commission time out requirements, universal precautions, and moderate sedation quality assurance.