ER WAIT
iWhether you’re focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle or living with heart disease, we’re here to help. Our range of heart care services includes screenings, preventive care, and management of chronic heart conditions. Taking a heart health assessment is an easy way to gauge your current cardiac health and, if necessary, to start a conversation with a provider.
At NNRH, we are committed to providing the highest level of cardiac care available in northeastern Nevada. That’s why we launched The Heart Center in 2016. The mission of The Heart Center is to provide quality, coordinated care for patients all along the spectrum of cardiovascular disease.
The cornerstone of The Heart Center is the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (or Cath Lab).
This is where our cardiologists intervene during cardiac emergencies. When a patient is suffering from a heart attack, this usually means that blood flow to the heart has been restricted. In the Cath Lab, our doctors skillfully insert arterial stents so that blood can resume flowing.
Prior to the opening of the Heart Center, this procedure was not available in Elko. Patients undergoing a cardiac emergency had to be transported by air to another facility. When it comes to the heart, minutes cost muscle, meaning that the longer blood flow is restricted, the more cardiac tissue dies. That’s why it is such good news that we can now treat many cardiac emergencies right here in Elko without expending those precious minutes on transport.
The Cath Lab has positively impacted so many lives in our community. Indeed, since the opening of the Heart Center, our cardiologists have performed over 1,800 interventional procedures.
But we don’t want to merely intervene if you’re having a heart attack. We’d like to help you before things get that far along!
That is why The Heart Center extends beyond the walls of the Cath Lab. Our nurses and staff work closely with all of our local cardiologists to provide preventive care for patients at risk for cardiovascular disease. We continue to invest in the latest equipment for cardiopulmonary diagnostics. This helps our local heart doctors see exactly what is going on inside their patients’ hearts so that they can take measures to prevent cardiac emergencies.
We also continue caring for many patients long after a heart attack.
The Heart Center also includes our Cardiac Rehabilitation Program where patients recovering from a cardiac event can regain their confidence and abilities while pursuing a healthy lifestyle. The program emphasizes exercise, education, counseling and behavioral modification. Our skilled rehab team provides each patient with the tools they need to develop not only a healthier heart, but an ongoing commitment to healthier living.