McKenzie-Willamette Heart Center

Skill, technology and experience your heart needs

There is no such thing as a small heart problem. At McKenzie-Willamette, we take heart care seriously. That's why we continue to offer the latest cardiac procedures, technology and coordinated treatment.

Coordinated Care

Local cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, and intensivists (physicians who specialize in critical care) provide both scheduled and emergency care 24/7 in the McKenzie-Willamette Heart Center, located on the first floor, inside the hospital’s current facility at 1460 G Street. Under the medical direction of these board-certified cardiologists and surgeons, specially-trained cardiac nurses and technologists work as a team to care for Heart Center patients and their families and help to ensure they are comfortable, safe and informed throughout their cardiac procedures and surgeries.

In 2008 Dr. James Day (pictured left) began offering his years of cardiac and thoracic surgical experience and training exclusively to patients at the McKenzie-Willamette Heart Center, performing cardiac and thoracic surgeries, both on a scheduled and emergency basis.

The Heart Center features a 600-square-foot cardiovascular operating room (CVOR) with the latest technology and equipment. Patients recover in the cardiovascular intensive care unit adjacent to the CVOR. Whether here for surgery or other cardiac treatments, patients stay on the Heart Center unit from admission through discharge.

In traditional open heart surgery environments, patients are moved from room-to-room and floor-to-floor during various stages of their hospitalizations. This set-up often increases anxiety for patients and their families, in an already stressful experience. Our facility alleviates that anxiety by keeping patients in the same unit throughout their stay. This approach to cardiac services provides more consistent communication among medical staff, less stress for the patient and enhanced, ongoing interaction between staff, patient and family.

To show its commitment to cardiovascular care, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center is a participant with the American College of Cardiology. We maintain compliance with national heart disease treatment guidelines and standards of care, as part of our continuous quality improvement program.

Comprehensive Cardiac Surgery & Cardiology Services Open Heart Surgeries,* such as coronary artery bypass grafts, thoracic surgeries, as well as heart valve replacements and repairs Cardiac Ultrasound and Stress Testing Vascular Ultrasound Carotid Doppler Ultrasound Pacemaker Insertion Diagnostic Coronary Angiography Interventional Coronary Artery Stenting Acute MI (Heart Attack) Treatment Cardioversion Electrocardiograms (EKG) Peripheral Angiography Peripheral Intervention Thoracic and Abdominal Aneurysm Treatments *Open-heart surgery is any surgical procedure that requires an incision into the heart, exposing one or more of the cardiac chambers. The most common open-heart operations are for repair of valvular disease and for correction of congenital heart defects, chiefly septal and valve defects. Open-heart surgery has also been used in the treatment of severe coronary-artery disease.

From arrival at the hospital, through treatment, and even after discharge, the Heart Center's approach to cardiac care gives extra attention to details that help patients recover as quickly and fully as possible.

Following a heart  treatment or surgery, patients are enrolled in a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, which involves lifestyle modifications, such as exercise, good nutrition, smoking cessation, diabetes education and stress management.

To learn more about our Heart Center services or to schedule a tour, please contact us at 541.744.8400 or email wecare@mckweb.com.

A recent addition to cardiac diagnostics and treatments is a new procedure to close a congenital heart opening. This much less invasive way to treat this heart defect is now being peformed in McKenzie-Willamette's cardiac catheterization (cath) lab by Dr. Sam Lau, cardiologist with Oregon Cardiology (pictured right).

 In addition to cardiac diagnostics and treatments, a full range of noninvasive procedures and tests, such as EKGs, echos and stress tests continue to be offered at McKenzie-Willamette. 

Background

McKenzie-Willamette launched new cardiac services when it opened a diagnostic cardiac catheterization (cath) lab in December 2004. Within weeks, the hospital was providing much-needed diagnostic services to cardiac patients throughout central Lane County.

In 2006 the hospital took cardiac services to the next level with the introduction of open-heart surgery and cardiac interventions, such as balloon angioplasty and stents. Area cardiologists and other physicians have long encouraged McKenzie-Willamette to expand cardiac services in order to provide more comprehensive care for patients.

In December 2006 the hospital opened a dedicated, comprehensive cardiovascular operating room and a post-op care unit. McKenzie-Willamette combined the operating room and post-operative care unit in one area of the hospital's first floor -- not far from the cardiac catheterization lab.

“When McKenzie-Willamette’s Board made the commitment to expand cardiovascular services,” states Dr. Jay Chappell, cardiologist, “we had the chance to create a heart center process and philosophy from the ground up.”

The Heart Center at McKenzie-Willamette offers services in a new way, with a centralized physical space that includes cardiovascular operating rooms, intensive care, and cardiology services. Some of the advantages of this comprehensive care  environment:

• Cardiologists and cardiac (heart) surgeons will be working in the same unit.
• Throughout their hospitalization, patients will receive care from the same medical staff.
• Other services (e.g., rehabilitation, education services) come to the patient on the cardiovascular unit, rather than the patient having to move from room to room and floor to floor.
• Cardiologists and cardiac surgeons will be seeing the same patients at the same time.
• Communication and collaboration between doctors and other medical staff can be done much more easily.

“This model will help ensure that the hospitalization for open heart surgery provides patients and their families a very positive experience,” continues Chappell, “and that they take home a much better understanding of post-hospitalization care for their condition.”