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Emergency Cardiac Services are available in the emergency department at South Central. The Emergency Room has a specially designed area which contains cardiac monitors and other equipment to care for the needs of cardiac patients. SCRMC's emergency room staff is trained to focus on early diagnosis and intervention of cardiac problems. South Central Regional Medical Center offers a comprehensive range of diagnostic cardiac services.
To learn more about SCRMC Cardiac Services, click the links below:
Telemetry (TEE)
Diagnostic
Diagnostic Catherization Lab
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation
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 Our state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Lab enables physicians to locate blockages in the coronary arteries, place pacemakers, and evaluate heart function. Other cardiac diagnostic services at South Central Regional Medical Center include
- clinical assessments,
- noninvasive stress tests,
- arrhythmia monitoring,
- and transesophogeal echocardiogram or TEE.
TEE is used to diagnose problems with the heart, heart valve structure and nearby blood vessels. Telemetry, a portable monitoring system, is used to monitor the heart rhythms of patients in the rehabilitation program.
South Central Regional Medical Center's Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program is specially designed for patients recovering from heart and/or lung problems. Under the direction of a physician, the program uses a total intervention approach that addresses the physical, educational and social aspects of the recovery process. The advanced procedures and technology provided by South Central Regional Medical Center allow physicians to perform a complete evaluation of the cardiovascular system and to conduct an effective rehabilitation program.
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Diagnostic
The Telemetry Unit at SCRMC is a patient care unit which offers continuous cardiac monitoring for inpatients with heart problems. Patients on this unit are cared for by cardiologists and nurses specially trained in cardiac care. Other disciplines of care include cardio-respiratory services, dietary, and when necessary social services.
Diagnostic Catherization Lab
South Central Regional Medical Center constantly strives to identify needs within it service area, which is one reason for the tremendous growth and progress in the medical community over the last several years.
The medical center identified the need for diagnostic cardiac catheterization services several years ago and obtained a certificate of need from the State Department of Health to implement the new service.
South Central Regional Medical Center is at the forefront of diagnostic cardiac care with the addition of cardiac catheterization to its noninvasive cardiology program. With the opening of its new diagnostic cardiac catheterization laboratory, in February 1997, South Central Regional Medical Center covers all noninvasive aspects of cardiology including clinical assessments, noninvasive stress tests and arrhythmia monitoring, allowing patients in this area to stay close to home for these technologically advanced procedures.
The cardiac catheterization lab not only provides diagnostic procedures but also works both with individual patients to provide education in cardiovascular-related areas. Diagnostic services and testing which are provided include: right and left heart catheterization with coronary angiography, intra-coronary thrombolytic therapy, intra-aortic balloon pump insertion, the placement of pacemakers, permanent and temporary pacing, hemodynamic studies and cardiac outputs.
Diagnostic cardiac catheterization is a technique by which physicians are able to visualize the heart chambers, measure cardiac pressures and determine coronary anatomy. A contrast dye is injected into the body and x-ray cinematography captures moving images of the heart in action. Most commonly the procedure is used to detect and locate blockages in the coronary arteries. Results from catheterization allow cardiologists to determine the best course of treatment for their patients.
Candidates for cardiac catheterization include individuals with a high risk for coronary heart disease, individuals with coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, or occasionally an individual in whom the presence or absence of coronary artery disease cannot be established.
The major advantage of the catheterization lab is the ability for patients to get a complete evaluation locally. South Central Regional Medical Center has five cardiologists on staff- Michael Brumley, M.D., Lawrence Leader, D.O., Joseph Proli, M.D., and David Sullivan, M.D.
With the new state-of-the-art equipment and lab location inside South Central Regional Medical Center, the physicians are able to practice this aspect of cardiology locally, saving their patients the time and expense of traveling out of town for this service.
Cardiologists at South Central believe that with the high incidence of heart disease in the United States, having local cardiac catheterization services is very important to a community.
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiology services at South Central Regional Medical Center include some of the latest technology available in the treatment of coronary disease, including TEE or transesophogeal echocardiogram.
TEE is a procedure used to diagnose problems of the heart, heart valve structure and nearby blood vessels. A tiny probe equipped with an ultrasound device is passed through the mouth into the esophagus, which lays directly against the wall of the heart. Sound waves are bounced into the heart from the device and produce images of the heart wall and its valve structure on a television monitor.
The procedure is similar to endoscopy and is done on an outpatient basis. There is very little discomfort to the patient, and the recovery time varies for each individual based on the amount of sedative required by the patient.
Candidates for the procedure include people with valvular heart disease and stroke patients. The benefit of a TEE procedure as opposed to similar cardiac diagnostic procedures is that the images obtained through TEE are clearer and provide more accurate results.
With valvular disease, oftentimes the mechanical device used to replace the heart valve can result in shadowing and unclear images when using regular ultrasound procedures. Because TEE bounces sound waves directly into the heart instead of across the chest wall, the visualization of the heart and its structures is very clear. If an infection is present in the valve, This proceedure can offer clearer images. In very young patients with valvular heart disease, TEE can be used to avoid cardiac catheterization. For stroke patients, it can determine if the heart muscle or its chambers may be causing mini strokes.
Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation
South Central Regional Medical Center's Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program is specially designed for patients recovering from heart and/or lung problems. Under the direction of a physician, the program uses a total intervention approach that addresses the physical, educational and social aspects of the recovery process. The advanced procedures and technology provided by South Central Regional Medical Center allow physicians to perform a complete evaluation of the cardiovascular system and to conduct an effective rehabilitation program.
