What is the size of your EP lab facility and number of staff members? What is the mix of credentials at your lab?

At THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano, we work in four EP suites and one OR/ENDO suite for lead extractions. Our staff includes an Invasive Cardiology Director overseeing multiple departments, an EP department manager, 13 full-time RNs, two full-time technologists (RCIS/CEPS), and two PRN RNs. Additionally, there is one IS Analyst that maintains our documentation/charging/coding functions and one materials coordinator.

There are two dedicated non-invasive cardiology nurses who are part of the EP staff. These nurses are responsible for tilt table tests (HUTT), cardioversion/TEEs and supporting nursing service and radiology procedures throughout the hospital.

We currently have five electrophysiologists who primarily practice at THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano, and three electrophysiologists that perform cases on an occasional basis. Several interventional cardiologists perform pacemaker and AICD implants in the EP lab.

When was the EP lab started at your institution?

THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano open in January of 2007. The EP program began in November 2004 within Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, a full-service hospital on the same campus as, and physically connected to, THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano.

What types of procedures are performed at your facility?

We perform EP studies, ablations (supraventricular tachycardia [SVT], ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation [AF], AV node), and implants for pacemakers, loop recorders, AICDs, and biventricular devices. We also perform laser lead extractions. We use both Carto (Biosense Webster, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, Diamond Bar, CA) and EnSite (St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, MN) for 3-D mapping and, beginning March 4, 2009, we started performing procedures with the Stereotaxis NIOBE® Magnetic Navigation System (Stereotaxis, Inc., St. Louis, MO).

Approximately how many are performed each week? What complications do you find during these procedures?

We perform 30-35 procedures weekly and approximately 1,500 procedures annually. This included more than 100 laser lead extractions performed last year. Complications are rare and well below the national benchmarks.

Who manages your EP lab?

The EP lab is managed by Paul Johnston, RN, EP Lab Manager, and Willis Hassell, RN, RCIS, BS, Director of Invasive Cardiology. Brian DeVille, MD is the Medical Director.

Is the EP lab separate from the cath lab? How long has this been? Are employees cross-trained?

Yes, the EP lab has a dedicated staff separate from the cath lab staff. This was established at the opening of the program in 2004. Staff members are not routinely cross-trained from EP to the cath lab, however, there are staff members experienced in both the cath and EP settings who will occasionally work in the cath labs.

Do you have cross training inside the EP lab? What are the regulations in your state?

All staff members are trained to perform every function within the lab with two exceptions. While everyone is trained to scrub implants, monitor and record hemodynamics, and perform all functions during an EP study and ablation, sedation is performed only by the nursing staff while x-ray generation is performed only by the physician or RT/Texas LMRT.