After months of research, planning, design and construction, Paris Regional Medical Center announces the opening this week of The Heart Hospital at Paris Regional on the hospital’s North Campus.

Each year, heart disease claims more lives than the next seven leading causes of death combined. More women die from heart disease than from breast cancer.

“The mission of the new Heart Hospital at Paris regional is simple—to reduce the incidence and rate of heart disease in our community,” said Chris Dux, CEO of Paris Regional Medical Center. “This killer isn’t picky. It attacks men and women of all sizes, races and lifestyles. Because heart disease can strike just about anyone, our focus is to stay on the offensive in effectively preventing, diagnosing and treating the illness.”

“By creating this cardiac center of excellence, we are making a bold statement to the entire region,” said Khalid Shafiq, M.D., PRMC’s chief of staff. “We can now provide state-of-the-art care on the level usually found only in large metropolitan areas.”

The Heart Hospital is the regions most comprehensive cardiac care center and gives residents of northeastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma access to the most advanced levels of heart care available.

“Patients won’t need to go to Dallas any more because we’ll have the most modern cardiac facility right here in Paris,” said Arjumand Hashmi, M.D., cardiology medical director for PRMC.

Some of the The Heart Hospital’s highlights include:
• 12,000 square feet of space.
• Two brand new Cardiac Catheterization laboratories outfitted with the finest technology, image quality and versatility available today.
• Four cardiac cath pre-operative and four post-operative beds.
• A new 64-Slice CT, advanced non-invasive imaging technology that can produce unprecedented 3-D images of the heart in seconds.
• A 12-bed Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.
• Digital image management system, which enables physicians and others to view cardiac and other medical images on computers, both inside and outside the hospital.
• A dedicated 16-bed cardiac inpatient unit.
• State-of-the-art Cardiac Monitoring Systems.
• A dedicated entrance for scheduled tests and procedures.
• A waiting area equipped with internet access, computers, a coffee bar and private consultation area.
• Cardiac rehabilitation program.

The Heart Hospital will also feature a Chest Pain Center, a cardiac emergency room that makes chest pain its only priority, allowing physicians to diagnose and begin treatment at the earliest possible moment. While the Chest Pain Center on the hospital’s North Campus will treat only cardiac emergencies, the Emergency Room on the South Campus will continue to provide medical care for all other types of emergencies.

“For those patient needing surgical intervention, the innovative operating room is fully outfitted with the latest equipment for the most complex cardiac procedures and operations.,” said cardiothoracic surgeon Rafael Salas, M.D. “That means most types of cardiac surgeries—including pacemaker placement, heart valve replacement, by-pass surgery and maze procedures for arrhythmia —can be performed right here in Paris.”

But as important as technology is to excellent patient care, what sets the Heart Hospital apart is its emphasis on caring for the individual needs of each patient.

“The Heart Hospital has been thoughtfully designed around the needs of patients with cardiovascular disease, the nation’s number one killer,” says Dux. “Every detail—from the type of lighting and seating in the waiting area to the high-tech equipment in the ICU and operating room—has been carefully chosen with the comfort and positive outcomes of our heart patients in mind. We’re going to redefine how cardiovascular care is delivered in our region.”