| June 27, 2007 |
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PRMC OPENING NEW CARDIAC CENTER - COURTESY OF THE PARIS NEWS |
By Mary Madewell |
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A state-of-the-art cardiac center comes on line at Paris Regional Medical Center’s North Campus by the end of the year, according to hospital officials.
The Cardiac Center of Excellence will be dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, according to PRMC chief executive officer Chris Dux.
“Heart disease is the number one killer in Texas and across the country,” Dux said. “That is why we are creating an entire center of excellence to fight it.”
The heart center will create the region’s most comprehensive cardiac care center and give residents of northeastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma access to advanced cardiac care close to home, according to Khalid Shafiq, PRMC’s chief of staff and a cardiac specialist.
“By creating a cardiac center of excellence, we are making a bold statement to the entire region,” Shafiq said. “We’re serious about providing state-of-the-art care on the level usually offered only in large metropolitan markets.”
Shafiq said specialists are in place here that equal or surpass the expertise of those in larger metropolitan hospitals.
“I am proud to be a part of this medical community,” Shafiq said. “Physicians here are of exceptional caliber and their competence is second to none.”
In Paris for the past 12 years, Shafiq said he was surprised by the quality of physicians here along with an outstanding hospital medical staff.
“A cardiologist can only be as good as the equipment and facilities available to them,” Shafiq said. “With this center, we will have a cutting edge cath lab and equipment normally available in a big heart center.”
Shafiq expressed excitement, especially about a new 64-Slice CT, an advanced non-invasive imaging technology that can produce 3-D images of the heart in seconds.
“The reconstruction of the images is absolutely phenomenal,” Shafiq said of the scanner. “We will be able to look at the heart without any invasive procedure, which will give physicians enough information to see whether a heart catherization is needed.”
The cardiac center also is to feature an emergency room dedicated to heart patients, allowing physicians to diagnose and begin treatment at the earliest possible moment, Shafiq said.
The center is to include two new cardiac catheterization laboratories as well as a surgical suite for open heart procedures. Also included is a six-bed cardiac intensive care unit and a 32-bed cardiac inpatient unit with cardiac monitoring systems.
“Patients won’t need to go to Dallas any more because we’ll have the most modern cardiac facility right here in Paris,” said Dr. Arjumand Hashmi, cardiology medical director at PRMC.
“But as important as technology is to excellent patient care, what will set the heart institute apart is its emphasis on caring for the individual needs of each patient,” Hashmi said. “We are going to redefine how cardiovascular care is delivered in our region.”
Earlier this year, Hashmi told The Paris News he came to the community “partly based on the fact it is an ideal environment to create a beautiful and state-of-the art heart center.”
“This is the first step in making that dream come true,” Hashmi said of creating a center equal to those provided by the Mayo clinics.
Cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Rafael Salas, who followed Hashmi here from Tampa, Fla., said he realizes the risk Essent Healthcare is taking.
“They have a lot of commitment and a lot of understanding of what physicians need,” Salas said. “It is not easy for them to commit all these millions of dollars, but I believe the community will see the results.”
Salas called for community support.
“It is what this center will mean to the community that is important,” Salas said. “I think it is time for this move — a gigantic step for cardiology.”
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Paris, Texas 75460
