Backus opens new cardiac unit
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People coming to Backus Hospital for cardiac rehabilitation and testing are entering a new, much more patient-friendly environment.
Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Echocardiology, EKG and Cardiac Testing are now all on one newly renovated floor, with a common waiting area and registration.
Phillip Schaffhauser, 67, has been coming to Backus Hospital for cardiac rehabilitation since 1990.
"I am alive because of this program," he said. "Through the monitored exercise they have found different things, such as arrhythmia, that we were able to handle immediately."
"We’ve been in a lot of places, and the new space is the best yet," he said. "There is plenty of room and light and it is a great improvement."
Sue Rahn, RN, Coordinator of Cardiac Rehabilitation said the staff and patients are all enjoying the larger space. The 7,400-square-foot wing includes more office space and other amenities.
"We are getting acclimated and it is going to work really well," she said.
There is more space for the staff to work with patients during the warm up and stretching, and the equipment in the rehabilitation area includes stationary bikes, treadmills and a sit-down step machine.
There also are locker rooms, with separate showers now available for men and women.
"Some of our patients exercise for 25 or 35 minutes on the bicycle or treadmill, so it is very nice to have the showers available for them," she said.
Cardiac testing, which is where patients are sent if physicians suspect they are at risk for heart attacks, includes:
Treadmill exercise stress test
Stress echoes
MiBi, which is when a radioactive tracer is injected and it shows up on camera as it travels to the heart, to show how much blood is getting to the heart and being pumped. This can help diagnose coronary artery disease or myocardial infarction.
"Particular care must be taken because these are suspected cardiac patients, and we are giving them exercise or chemicals to stress their heart," said Wayne Vojick, Director of Cardiopulmonary Vojick. "Patients must be closely monitored. We always have a cardiologist present, ready to deal with any situation that may arise."
Echocardiology includes a broad range of testing capabilities:
Pediatric echocardiogram testing
Trans-esophageal echocardiography, when a probe is inserted in the esophagus to take images of the heart
Stress echocardiograms, which is cardiac testing with digital imaging.
EKG services include standard and signal average electrocardiograms, a test that records the electrical activity of the heart. This shows abnormal rhythms and detects heart muscle damage.
Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Services also shares the floor. Patients use these services after a cardiac or pulmonary surgery as part of their rehabilitation and therapy. Exercise includes computerized monitoring to carefully increase fitness after an operation.