UPMC Hamot

Regional Hospital Raises the Bar in Cardiac Care

UPMC Hamot has a history of breaking new ground when it comes to medical care. In addition to boasting the region’s only certified trauma center, UPMC Hamot is a Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, and in 2018, was the first in the nation to use robotic bronchoscopy technology in the battle against lung cancer. Now, UPMC Hamot has added to this growing list of distinctions by raising the bar in cardiac care. In September 2021, UPMC Hamot received its certification as a Comprehensive Cardiac Care Center from both the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association — a certification that means the hospital has delivered high quality clinical heart care over a set period of time. In fact, UPMC Hamot is the first hospital in the UPMC system to achieve this independent stamp of approval. The importance of the cardiac care certification is far-reaching not only for the hospital and the hospital system, but as a valuable resource toward population health in northwest Pennsylvania. The certification demonstrates integrated and coordinated care, early identification of high-risk patients, and timely patient education for informed decision making. The certification also contributes to ongoing quality improvement as related to patient care efficiencies and outcomes.

According to Marlow Levy, MBA, RN, FACHE, vice president of operations at UPMC Hamot, “This designation sends a message about the quality of care that patients can expect to receive here — as one of the best hospitals in the country to deliver comprehensive cardiac care.” UPMC Hamot’s participation in the Comprehensive Cardiac Care Center certification program was completely voluntarily, but gave the hospital a rigorous review of its performance as well as cardiac care standards in such areas as heart attacks, heart failure, cardiac resuscitation, arrhythmia management, cardiac

Francis D. Ferdinand, M.D., FACS, FACC, director of cardiac surgery at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute at UPMC Hamot, conducts a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). UPMC Hamot was the first hospital in the region to perform this procedure.

catheterization, heart stents, coronary bypass/valve treatment, and cardiac rehabilitation. “We didn’t work to achieve the certification because we had to, but because it is the right thing to do for our patients,” says Levy. The review process started in July 2021 and was completed in September 2021 — in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings: UPMC Hamot was recognized with high honors for its procedural outcomes, quality control and patient access. “At a time when our staff were pushing to take care of the patients in this unprecedented era of the pandemic, they were also focusing on not losing anything in terms of quality in cardiac patient care,” states Levy. “I believe that speaks to the level of professionals we have here within the cardiac program and at UPMC Hamot.”

Integrated and Coordinated Care

Critical to the certification was UPMC Hamot’s coordination of cardiac care along the care continuum — which included community initiatives and patient education, inpatient and outpatient care, rehabilitation, and interviews with patients and families. “This certification is not just a hospital certification,” explains Deborah Pora, DNP, CRNP, ANP-C, RCIS, clinical director at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute at UPMC Hamot. “This is truly comprehensive from how we service the community to all the way through to post discharge.” The review examined UPMC Hamot’s emergency department, critical care units, operating rooms, cath labs, radiology services and pharmacy labs, as well as its outpatient clinics hosted through the UPMC Hamot Center for Healthy Living at 3330 Peach Street in Erie. The facility houses UPMC Hamot’s outpatient cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program, and is also a community resource for health fair clinics, as well as diabetes and smoking cessation courses — including those held virtually because of the pandemic. The review also examined UPMC Hamot’s collaboration with other community hospitals in the tri-state area and within the UPMC system, an area in which UPMC Hamot excels as a model for best practices. Equally important to the review was the education and resources available to patients and their families to make informed decisions pre- and post-procedure. “They looked at our scope of care, our treatment, our services and our center’s philosophy, focusing on patient population and community demographics and how we are serving them,” notes Pora. “They looked at leadership responsibilities, accountabilities, backup systems and our integration and collaboration.” Approximately 100 health-care professionals were involved in the certification process. Auditors looked at all different types of team members, whether they were a nurse practitioner, a nurse, a respiratory therapist, or a surgeon, and conducted a thorough inspection of their training, orientation, education and their role in cardiac care. “For example, our nursing staff here have a matrix with the cardiac care service line, so that we’re ensuring its practice and benchmarks and best practices are coordinated throughout the entire system,” says Levy. “That, in turn, helps us to make sure that we’re following those best practices when we’re educating and caring for our patients, and taking care of them in a coordinated fashion.” >

Simple Steps for Heart Health

UPMC Hamot’s cardiac care team has some suggestions for employers and their employees when it comes to heart health. According to Francis D. Ferdinand, M.D., FACS, FACC, director of cardiac surgery at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute at UPMC Hamot, the best way to help improve cardiac health and wellness is to not only choose a healthy diet but to stay active at work. UPMC Hamot, for one, is a big supporter of the American Heart Association Heart Walk and Go Red for Women initiatives. “When you have a break at work, go for a little walk around the building. You can do a flight of stairs. Those are the type of things that really help to make a huge difference, and people sometimes overlook them,” says Dr. Ferdinand. Deborah Pora, DNP, CRNP, ANP-C, RCIS, clinical director at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute at UPMC Hamot, adds many people have lost their tolerance to exercise and encourages employees and their employers to consider using computer stands as well. “Talk about what you need to stay healthy at work,” she says. UPMC Hamot and its heart and vascular offices also encourage people to consider depression screenings. “Broken heart syndrome is a real thing,” Pora says, of the condition, which can be brought on by stressful situations, “so screenings can help.”

High Tech and High Quality

UPMC Hamot may have the feel of a community hospital, but its robust cardiac care program is among the best in the region, treating everything from coronary disease, heart failure and heart-valve diseases to offering one of the leading electrophysiology programs for heart abnormalities. For complex cases, like heart transplants and the treatment of aortic dissection, UPMC Hamot has a well-established relationship with designated hospitals in Pittsburgh for seamless care. “I think we’re fortunate to be able to accommodate most needs from a cardiac standpoint here locally,” notes cardiologist Christopher Good, D.O. “The group of people who work within our department is the reason that we have the cardiac care certification, while preserving a community hospital feel.” As part of the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, UPMC Hamot is leading the way when it comes to treatment and revolutionary medical devices for people facing serious heart and vascular conditions. UPMC Hamot was the first hospital in the region to offer a valve center, peripheral vascular center, heart failure clinic, cardiac ER and cardiac MRIs. It was the first hospital in western Pennsylvania to use the WATCHMAN® cardiovascular implant, an alternative to long-term blood thinner therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) to reduce the risk of stroke. Additionally, UPMC Hamot was the first hospital in the region approved to perform the innovative transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. A TAVR procedure is minimally invasive and implants an artificial aortic valve inside a patient’s damaged heart valve, eliminating the need for open heart surgery or a heart-lung machine during the procedure. According to Francis D. Ferdinand, M.D., FACS, FACC, director of cardiac surgery at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute at UPMC Hamot, the surgical team will have completed its 1,000th TAVR procedure by mid-January 2022. “We have extensive experience in TAVR procedures, and we use two main types of devices so we can tailor the procedure to the patient and not the other way around,” explains Dr. Ferdinand. ”TAVR procedures are another example of how our heart team excels.” UPMC Hamot’s state-of-the-art equipment and facilities certainly can’t be overlooked either. Since the hospital’s affiliation with UPMC in 2011, more than $300 million has been invested in the Erie campus. A considerable amount of that investment has gone toward UPMC Hamot’s cardiac program. Including advanced equipment, software, and sophisticated technology in its cath labs, UPMC Hamot has also implemented upgrades to its electrophysiology lab. Additionally, the hospital employs hybrid operating rooms, which allow for a variety of specialists to work together during a procedure. “I think that lends to our certification,” says Levy. “We are always staying on top of what’s out there in terms of research and innovation.”

Focused on What’s Best

While UPMC Hamot is constantly evaluating and investing in technology, the hospital also is looking at processes and practices to ensure that the care given locally is recognized by leading health-care organizations from around the country. Many of UPMC Hamot’s doctors are involved in research through the University of Pittsburgh. As leaders within the industry, they are connected to the latest advancements in care when it comes to new procedures and practices, bringing that knowledge back to UPMC Hamot. According to Levy, the certification also enables UPMC Hamot to enhance and improve its cardiac program. “We have this certification and this top-notch program, and it has a positive impact on the entire community, as well as the entire system,” he says. Along with the Comprehensive Cardiac Care Center certification, there are many reasons to be excited about the innovations happening within cardiac services at UPMC Hamot, and the hospital’s ability to offer that care locally benefits the community. “I’m excited about the growth of our team and that we have one of the best teams in the country in terms of delivering cardiac care,” says Levy. “And I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them as they embark on new frontiers in cardiac health care. Bringing those things here to Erie, makes that dot on the map bigger and ultimately improves local patient care.”

UPMC Hamot is a 458-bed hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, offering a full complement of inpatient and outpatient services, and serves as a regional referral hub and Level II Trauma Center. Supported by more than 650 physicians and nearly 4,000 dedicated employees, UPMC Hamot’s mission is to serve its patients, communities and one another in the UPMC Hamot tradition of quality, health, healing and education. UPMC Hamot’s superior health-care services are continually recognized by notable accrediting bodies. For more information, visit UPMCHamot.org or call 814/877-6000.