|
 In
1969, The Christ Hospital's department of cardiac surgery
was created, and its first cardiac surgery was performed.
Since
the inception of cardiac surgery at The Christ Hospital in
1969, more than 20,000 cardiac surgeries have been performed
there, helping The Christ Hospital attain its long-standing
reputation as "Cincinnati's Heart Hospital."
In
the late 1980s,
Christ became the first in the area to surgically repair the
mitral valve of the heart. This procedure allows the patient
to keep his or her own valve, and it eliminates the risk that
can accompany the implant of a mechanical or foreign tissue
valve.
In
1987,
The Christ Hospital's cardiac surgeons were the first in Cincinnati
to implant the automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator,
a device that can shock the heart back into a normal rhythm
when it can't maintain one on its own.
In
1995,
Christ was the first in the Tristate to perform minimally
invasive procedures, a method of performing open-heart surgery
through a small incision, sometimes without a heart/lung machine.
Christ
Hospital was the first in the Tristate to use the radial artery
during bypass surgery. Physicians at Christ began using the
radial artery in 1996. Until that time, bypass grafts were
primarily done using segments of vein taken from elsewhere
in the body. Now, many cases are done using arteries instead
of veins, because arterial grafts are more resistant to plaque
formation.
In
1998,
Christ was the first in Cincinnati to perform the OPCAB or
off-pump coronary arterial bypass procedure. OPCABs are minimally
invasive open-heart surgery performed on a beating heart.
For patients who are the right candidates, it means a faster
recovery with fewer risks. Now, close to 30% of Christ's open-heart
procedures are off-pump.
Among
its cardiology milestones,
The Christ Hospital was among the first in the nation
to test the drug TPA, now routinely
used during heart attacks to restore blood function, back
in 1986. The Christ Hospital pioneered the use of balloon
angioplasty, starting in November, 1980. The Health Alliance
now performs thousands of angioplasties every year.
The
Christ Hospital did 13 open-heart cases in 1969; now, physicians
perform more than 1,100 annually. In 1969, it took physicians
six hours to do a procedure; that time has now been cut in
half. In the early days of the program, patients were admitted
up to two days before their surgery, and they stayed in the
hospital for 14 days following the procedure. Now, elective
patients are admitted the morning of their surgery, and they
go home in 5 days.
 Many
of those changes in length of stay are as a result of the
forward-thinking critical paths developed at Christ in 1992.
The critical paths are a way of standardizing care for a patient,
so that everything from medication to when a patient should
expect to sit up in bed is outlined for physicians and nurses.
Christ Hospital patients are also given pre- and post-operative
instructions, and cardiac rehabilitation by dedicated exercise
specialists on their unit.
With
the advent of the Health Alliance in 1994, The Christ Hospital's
reputation continued to flourish, as it, along with The University
Hospital and The Jewish Hospital, enjoyed such achievements
as being named among the Top 100 Heart Hospitals in the U.S.
according to HCIA, as well as performing more than half of
the Tri-state's cardiac surgeries every year.
This
milestone isn't merely superficial: research in the May, 1999
issue of The New England Journal of Medicine concluded that
heart attack patients taken to the hospital with the most
cardiac experience, as opposed to the standard practice of
taking them to the closest hospital, were more likely to survive.
Our
Awards and Accomplishments
July, 2004 - The Christ Hospital is the only hospital in the Tristate named to the U.S. News & World Report Top 50 Heart Hospitals in the Nation list. This marks the fifth consecutive year Christ has made the list.
October,
2003 -
Named by Solucient as one of the 100
Top Heart Hospitals in the U.S.
July, 2003
- The Christ Hospital is the only hospital in the Tristate
named to the U.S. News & World Report Top
50 Heart Hospitals in the Nation list. This marks the
fourth consecutive year Christ has made the list.
June, 2003
- Christ Hospital becomes the first in the United States to
transplant
a patient's own muscle stem cells from his leg to his
heart, to see if it will re-grow damaged heart muscle.
April, 2003
- Christ Hospital began using the first
FDA-approved drug-eluting stent. Christ was a major trial
participant and one of few sites in U.S. to test the stent.
March, 2003
- The Christ Hospital was the first in the area to use the
new AtriCure
system to treat atrial fibrillation.
November, 2002 - Surgeons
at Christ Hospital were the first in the Tristate to use a
new procedure that allows them to retrieve
an artery through a single incision small enough to be
hidden by a wristband, instead of the traditional method requiring
a 10-inch incision. (link to the press release)
November, 2002 - Christ
Hospital begins testing
a procedure to grow coronary vessels
October, 2002 - Christ
Hospital is awarded the 100
Top Cardiovascular Hospital for the fourth year in a row.
It's the only local hospital to make it onto this prestigious
list every year since the list was started.
July, 2002
- The Christ Hospital is the only hospital in the Tristate
named to the U.S. News & World Report Top 50 Heart Hospitals
in the Nation list. This marks the third consecutive year
Christ has made the list.
June, 2002
- Cardiologists at The Christ Hospital are the first in the
Tristate to implant the AMPLATZER( Septal Occluder, a device
that repairs a hole in the heart without surgery.
April, 2002
- Researchers at The Lindner Center begin testing repeat radiation
to prevent coronary artery blockage at Christ Hospital. Christ
is one of only two sites in the United States approved to
be part of the test.
November,
2001
- The Christ Hospital was the first hospital in the Tristate
to use the Jomed covered stent graft. The Jomed stent can
be used when the patient's artery is perforated during a coronary
angioplasty procedure.
June, 2001
- For the third consecutive year, The Christ Hospital is named
among the 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in the nation by
Solucient (formerly HCIA-Sachs), a leading health care information
content company. Solucient produces the yearly [100 Top Hospitals:
Benchmarks for Success] study, used by hospitals across the
country as a target for performance.
May,
2001
- Christ opens two new electrophysiology laboratories for
treatment of arrhythmias.
May
2001
- The Health Alliance installs the nation's largest cardiovascular
information system at all of its hospitals, including Christ.
The state-of-the-art digital system, VERICIS Cardiology Integrated
Cardiovascular Repository, has the ability to display test
results from both cardiac catheterization labs and echo labs
simultaneously. The former system recorded all test results
on videotape and film, which were difficult to archive and
store. The new system allows physicians to access patients'
records more quickly so they can determine necessary treatment.
July,
2000
- Christ offers radiation to improve angioplasty's effectiveness.
July,
2000
- Christ Hospital's heart program is named among the 50 best
in the U.S. according to the 2000 U.S. News & World Report
annual guide to "America's Best Hospitals."
June,
2000
- Christ performs the Tristate's first septal ablation - treatment
for a common heart defect called hypertrophic obstructive
cardiomyopathy.
June,
2000
- Christ is named to HCIA's 100 Top Heart Hospitals list.
May, 2000
- Christ announces construction of a $77 million center that
includes cardiac catheterization labs and heart recovery areas.
December,
1999
- Christ Hospital's vascular labs are accredited by the Intersocietal
Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories.
December,
1999
- Surgeons at Christ perform the area's first abdominal aortic
aneurysm stent graft procedures.
October,
1999
- Lindner Clinical Trial Center tests Antrin(, a drug used
to treat atherosclerotic vascular disease.
1999
- Christ receives the Consumer Choice Award for Heart Care
Service, by National Research Corporation.
1999
- Christ Hospital celebrates 30 years of open-heart surgery.
May,
1999
- Christ named to the HCIA 100 Top Heart Hospitals list.
back
to top
The
Heart Center of Greater Cincinnati at The Christ Hospital
 Scheduled
to open in the fall of 2003, the state-of-the Heart Center
will add approximately 150,000 square feet for cardiovascular
surgery, procedures, tests and research. A major component
of the project is the relocation of the 20-bed cardiovascular
intensive care and recovery units to space next to the current
operating room. The 12-bed surgical intensive care unit will
be relocated as well. Further, the 40-bed cardiovascular step-down
unit will move to the new building. These moves expedite access
to the specialized intensive care services needed for open-heart
patients and improve traffic patterns for physicians, staff
and families. The Heart Center is made possible by a gift
$77 million from the Board of The Elizabeth Gamble Deaconess
Home Association, the founding organization of The Christ
Hospital.
The
Lindner Center A Respected
Leader
 A
national leader in clinical research, The Lindner Center brings
some of the newest and most advanced technologies and treatments
to Greater Cincinnati patients - long before they are available
to the general public and other physicians. One of the two
divisions, The Lindner Clinical Trial Center, conducts leading-edge
cardiovascular and multispecialty research trials for pharmaceutical
and medical device companies.
The
Carl and Edyth Lindner Center for Research and Education,
the not-for-profit division, provides support and training
for fellowships and preceptorships; sponsors educational conferences
for both patients and physicians; and facilitates funding
for specific research studies.
With
support from private industry and the National Institutes
of Health, The Lindner Center strives to identify the most
promising therapies and provide them at a reduced cost to
their patients. The center works hard to establish satisfying
relationships with patients and referring physicians.
Areas
of Expertise
-
The
Lindner Center conducts a wide variety of clinical trials:
-
Coronary
intervention: Devices and pharmaceuticals
-
Cardiac
electrophysiology: Devices and pharmaceuticals
-
Secondary
prevention/wellness: Hypertension, obesity, chronic angina,
lipid and cholesterol metabolism, diabetes
-
Heart
failure: Devices and pharmaceuticals
-
Cardiac
surgery: Devices and pharmaceuticals
-
Cognitive
disorders/dementia
-
Oncology
Highly
Qualified Staff
The
experienced staff works together to implement clinical research
protocols with competence, insight and compassionate patient
care. The staff includes:
-
More
than 30 physician co-investigators.
-
Experienced
nurses who together have logged more than 250 years in
nursing and more than 75 years in clinical research.
-
Administrator
with both nursing and business administration degrees.
-
18
full- and part-time registered nurses with intensive care
unit, emergency room, critical care unit, cardiac catheterization
lab, electrophysiology lab, operating room and research
experience.
-
6
medical assistants and technicians who support nurses
and physicians in protocol execution.
-
A
clerical support staff who facilitate regulatory document
completion, enhance center communications, and provide
the tools and organization associated with the educational
programs, preceptorship and national presentations.
Efficient
and Effective
The
organizational structure supports efficient regulatory processing
activities, strong patient recruitment, and accurate and complete
data acquisition. They offer:
-
Extensive
research experience in a wide range of clinical trials.
-
Timely
completion of research data.
-
Close
nurse/patient follow-up.
-
24-hour
on-call for physicians' and/or patients' needs.
-
Extremely
low staff turnover.
-
An
efficient regulatory process for timely review, approval
and submission of our study protocols, informed consents
and regulatory documents. This enables The Lindner Center
to initiate studies quickly and on time. It is not uncommon
for The Lindner Center to be told it is the first site
to initiate a trial due to this process.
-
Excellent
track record with sponsors and clinical research organizations.
Easily
accessible Facilities
The
Lindner Center is located in The Christ Hospital Medical Office
Building, next to the hospital. back to
top
Team
members include:
Annually,
they perform approximately...
-
1,100
open-heart surgeries
-
2,000
angioplasties
-
5,000
cardiac catheterizations ...more
than any other hospital in the Tri-state
Other
team members include:
-
Nurses
-
Physician
Assistants
-
Technicians
-
Therapists
-
Registered
dietitians
-
Registered
respiratory therapists
-
Exercise
specialists
-
Clinical
nurse specialists
-
Case
managers back to top
Cardiovascular
Services
The
Christ Hospital offers a full array of cardiovascular services
for almost every patient need. Among
them:
-
Diagnostic
testing (stress echo, treadmill testing, echocardiography
etc.)
-
Cardiac
SPECT (nuclear medicine testing)
-
Cardiac
catheterization
-
Cardiac
bypass surgery
-
Angioplasty
(balloon dilation)
-
Directional
coronary atherectomy
-
Intra-coronary
ultrasound
-
Rotoblator
-
Coronary
stents
-
Coronary
bypass surgery
-
Minimally
invasive coronary artery bypass
-
Valve
surgery
-
Major
vascular reconstruction
-
Automatic
implantable cardioverter defibrillator
-
Pacemaker
-
Off-pump
coronary arterial bypass graft surgery
-
Peripheral
vascular labs
-
Critical
cardiac unit
-
Abdominal
aortic aneurysm (AAA) stent grafting
-
Carotid
stenting
Cardiac Rehabilitation
 Cardiac
Rehabilitation is treatment used after a heart attack, angioplasty,
angina, catheterization, bypass surgery or valve replacement.
Cardiac rehab
will be outlined by your physician following the appropriate
diseases or surgeries. A comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation
program will help you to, first, understand the factors that
may have contributed to your initial heart condition, and,
second, prescribe the life changes that you'll need to make
in order to place yourself on the road to recovery.
The Christ Hospital
Cardiac Rehabilitation department offers all three phases
of rehab. Phase I, which is done at the inpatient stage in
the patient's hospital room; Phase II which is a set regimen
of exercises and counseling done at the cardiac rehab center;
and Phase III, a continuing exercise program to keep the heart
healthy and avoid future heart disease.
Often doctors
will prescribe medication to be taken in addition to cardiac
rehabilitation programs. However, exercise and education will
help prevent further heart problems that medication cannot
do alone by strengthening your heart, reducing your stress
levels, reducing levels of bad cholesterol, improving your
psychological state, as well as improving your overall sense
of well-being.
The Christ Hospital
Cardiac Rehabilitation
2123 Auburn Avenue Suite 224
Cincinnati, Ohio
513-585-2425 back to top
Location
The Christ Hospital
is conveniently located in central Cincinnati, within easy
driving distance of Lexington, Louisville, Dayton, Indianapolis
and Columbus.
 |
Christ
Hospital
2139 Auburn Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45219
513-585-2000
map
& directions |
For
free brochures and other information, call 1-888-640-CARE.
About
The Christ Hospital
Since
1888, The Christ Hospital has grown to become a leader in
medical excellence by continuing to plan and innovate for
the future. The Christ Hospital is consistently recognized
as one of the best hospitals in the United States and is Greater
Cincinnati's top choice for adult
health
care. Since 1998, Christ has been awarded the Consumer Choice
Award annually; In 2000, it was listed as one of America's
Best Hospitals (Top 50: Heart Hospital Category); other awards
include Top Hospital in Cincinnati for Overall Performance
(1998 and 2000); 100 Top Hospitals in America (2000, 1998,
1995, 1994); and in 1998 was awarded the Top Hospital in Cincinnati
for Overall Cardiology.
Patients
of this 550-bed, not-for-profit acute care facility receive
personalized health care provided by trained specialists using
the most sophisticated medical technology available, including
state-of-the-art intensive care units, surgical facilities,
cardiac catheterization labs, two new electrophysiology labs,
newly remodeled and expanded endoscopy labs, dialysis facilities,
two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) units, and the Tristate's
first positron emission tomography (PET) scanning capabilities.
The
Christ Hospital offers services in cardiac care, women's health,
cancer, behavioral medicine, and orthopedics. The hospital
further supports health care through a highly-regarded independent
internal medicine residency program, a nuclear medicine residency
program and The
Christ Hospital School of Nursing.
The
Christ Hospital is part of the Health Alliance, an integrated
health care delivery system that also includes The University
Hospital, The St. Luke Hospitals, The Jewish Hospital, The
Fort Hamilton Hospital and the physicians of Alliance Primary
Care. back to top
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