Swedish Medical Center | Swedish Cares | Issue 1

WHEN YOU NEED highly specialized care for a heart or vascular condition, you shouldn’t have to wait. After all, swift treatment can make a difference physically and emotionally. “Having a heart or vascular health problem can be worrisome for patients,” says Denise Mathias, Administrative Director of Cardiovascular Services at Swedish Medical Center. “It can be mentally and emotionally exhausting when you’re not able to quickly access high-quality care. It prolongs the worry.” And that’s a big reason why our cardiac program at Swedish—which already offers the most advanced and comprehensive services—is about to get even bigger and better. Growing the program Here are some of the changes that will allow us to offer timely access to highly trained specialists and more advanced treatments. More experts. In order to serve you in a timely manner, we’re enlarging our cardiology and vascular team. We’re adding eight doctors and five advanced practice providers. “They’re going to help us serve our growing community,” Mathias says. For instance, the new providers will help the program expand these subspecialty areas: ++ Electrophysiology (EP). Electrophysiologists help diagnose and treat conditions involving the heart’s electrical activity. These include arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats) such as atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia and atrial flutter. At Swedish, we provide a wide range of minimally invasive EP treatments. Among them: cardiac ablation (treatment to reduce or eliminate arrhythmias and restore a regular rhythm) and implantable pacemakers or cardioverter defibrillators. ++ Peripheral vascular disease (PVD). This is a painful condition in which arteries and blood vessels outside the heart (often in the legs or arms) become narrowed or blocked. Our experts treat PVD with both traditional surgeries and minimally invasive procedures. ++ Cardiothoracic robotic surgery. We now offer minimally invasive robotic-assisted heart surgery. (See page 5.) More surgical suites. We’re also adding more space in order to offer more treatments. This includes more clinic space, plus an additional heart surgery operating room, a new EP lab and a hybrid operating room (OR). A hybrid OR is a large operating space with advanced imaging technology that is used to guide complex surgeries, such as those in the heart or the legs. “We are growing our services to expand our role as a regional cardiac referral center,” Mathias says. “We believe in quick access to high-quality care. And we want to ensure that we’re providing that for all of our patients.” heart care EXPANDING QUICK ACCESS TO Denise Mathias To find a heart care specialist at Swedish, visit swedishhospital.com/ physicians o r call 303-575-0055 . 4 Swedish Cares • Issue 1