An integral part of the Heart Institute is the inpatient facilities. These include a 31-bed critical care unit, where the majority of the RNs hold a highly valued national certification in critical care nursing.

The staff is highly skilled in their compassionate care of the most critically ill patient with open heart surgery, acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, multi-system organ failure, or any other devastating or life-threatening illness.

This is accomplished through state-of-the-art monitoring equipment, including invasive hemodynamic monitoring, intra-aortic balloon pumping and left-ventricular assist devices.

The center also includes an eight-bed Intermediate Care Unit and a 47-bed Telemetry Unit, where the activities include:

  • diagnostic evaluation as directed by the physician team
  • increasing physical activity under monitored observation
  • discharge planning
  • risk factor modification
  • patient education, including, but not limited to, modification of risk factors and lifestyle habits, such as smoking cessation programs and cardiac rehabilitation

It is here where patients are introduced to changes in lifestyle habits, such as smoking cessation programs and cardiac rehabilitation.

The center also includes our Procedure Care Unit (PCU), an 18-bed short-stay unit, and their seven-bed admit/discharge area. Patients having cardiac procedures are usually admitted, recovered from their procedures and discharged from PCU, either the same day or the next morning.

The staff consists of experienced and skilled registered nurses, most with critical care backgrounds, and expert technicians.