EP Lab Digest - March 2008 - (Page 12)

12 SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW MARCH 2008 Spotlight Interview St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center Gina Cusworth, RN, Manager, EP Laboratory St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center Syracuse, New York 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 a one-room laboratory. The mix of staff is two electrophysiologists, three full-time RNs (one of which is a certified heart rhythm professional), one part-time RN, and one administrative assistant. We perform implants and extractions in our Operating Room, which includes separately trained staff. We opened the electrophysiology laboratory in June of 1997. What is the primary goal of your program (AF ablations, lead extractions, BiVs, etc.)? Our primary goal is to provide a comprehensive, state-of-the-art EP service. old Prucka system to the new GE CardioLab. We have had the EnSite mapping system for over five years. What types of procedures are performed at your facility? We perform EP studies and ablations for all types of arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation ablations. We use retrograde and transeptal techniques, and have a three-dimensional (3D) mapping system.We insert permanent pacemakers and ICDs, including biventricular devices. One of our physicians is also credentialed to perform lead extractions. Who handles your procedure scheduling? Do you use particular software? Our administrative assistant handles all scheduling of the EP laboratory, and our Central Scheduling staff schedules in the Operating Room. They use the PHS system for scheduling. Approximately how many are performed each week? What complications do you find during these procedures? We perform approximately 12 EP cases and 19 device cases a week. Over one year, we do approximately 540 cases in the laboratory. Devices are done in the Operating Room. Our complications are rare in occurrence. When was the EP lab started at your institution? What type of quality control/quality assurance measures are practiced in your EP lab? We log every case. If complications do occur, they are sent to and reviewed by our hospital’s Risk Management team. In the 10 years we have been open, we have seen a change in the mix of procedures, not necessarily a number increase. Who manages your EP lab? The laboratory is managed by our Medical Director and an RN-Manager. Is the electrophysiology lab separate from the cath lab? How long has this been? Are employees cross-trained? Our EP lab is separate from the cath lab. It has been this way since the lab opened. Employees are not crosstrained. How is inventory managed at your EP lab? Who handles the purchasing of equipment and supplies? Our hospital uses a handheld system of managing our everyday medical supplies. Our catheters and specific EP supplies are ordered and managed by our nurse manager. Do you have cross training inside the EP lab? What are the regulations in your state? The RNs are cross-trained to scrub, circulate, sedate and map. Our state regulates that only RNs pass out medications. Has your EP lab recently expanded in size and patient volume, or will it be in the near future? In the 10 years we have been open, we have seen a change in the mix of procedures, not necessarily a number increase. As with most institutions, our ICD volume is also up. What new equipment, devices and/or products have been introduced at your lab lately? How has this changed the way you perform those procedures? The newly renovated exterior of St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center. What measures has your electrophysiology lab implemented We received our newest piece of equipment when we switched out our See SPOTLIGHT page 14

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EP Lab Digest - March 2008

EP Lab Digest - March 2008 ECG 101: The Case of a Dizzy Patient with a Left Bundle Branch Block Delayed Defibrillation: Research and Results Interview with Paul S. Chan, MD Contents Letter from the Editor Spotlight Interview: St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center Parent Heart Watch from 36,000 Feet… Perspectives from the Annual Leadership Conference Clinical Trial Overview: 2008 Are MRI-Safe Pacemakers and Leads on the Horizon? Q & A with J. Rod Gimbel, MD Navigating Tortuous Coronary Sinus Anatomy Using a Bipolar Lead Email Discussion Group: March 2008 Guidelines on ECG Interpretation Spotlight Interview Update: What Have We Learned? The Value of Educating Staff Events Calendar Industry News and Products Classifieds Advertisers Index In Memoriam

EP Lab Digest - March 2008

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