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Recognizing that patient needs must always come first, the physicians of Nebraska Heart strive to maintain a cooperative and interactive relationship with the referring family physician. This team-based approach assures that proper and informed decisions are made from diagnosis, through treatment and rehabilitation.
The cardiologists and surgeons of CHI Health Nebraska Heart participate in many national research studies to discover new methods of detection and treatment of heart disease. The Heart Institute physicians employ the most state-of-the-art technology to aid in the diagnosis and treatment as well as staying updated on new programs in prevention.
The Heart Institute team also includes advanced practice clinicians, who work with the physicians to provide extensive education, preventative care, treatment and follow-up for patient care.
You may contact Nebraska Heart at (800) 644-3637.
The medical team consists of anesthesiologists, cardiologists, electrophysiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and vascular surgeons.
Upon arrival at CHI Health Nebraska Heart patients are checked in at the front desk. At that time a case manager greets the patient and their family and is escorted directly to their room. At this point all aspects of admission are taken care of in regards to registration, collection of insurance, family history, as well as notice of privacy practices acknowledgement. The case manager is your resource for any needs during the patient’s stay, including contact of pastoral care if requested, questions about dismissal, follow-up appointments and rehabilitative needs.
Anesthesiologists administer medications to produce a partial or complete loss of sensation and/or consciousness in patients, or to manage and control pain during and after a surgery.
Nebraska Heart anesthesiologists have comprehensive knowledge in several different areas of medicine. Prior to administering anesthesia, the anesthesiologist must learn as much as possible about the patient’s personal and family history, and medical condition. They are responsible for monitoring the patients’ heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, body temperature, and other vital functions during their procedures.
Anesthesiologists work with Nebraska Heart physicians and nurses as part of the health care team to monitor patients before, during, and after they receive anesthesia.
Sometimes cardiovascular surgeons can operate on the heart when it is beating, but often it needs to be still. To maintain blood flow to the body’s tissues during a heart procedure when the heart needs to be stopped, surgeons call on perfusion technologists.
Perfusionists are vital members of the cardiovascular surgical team because they are responsible for running the heart-lung (cardiopulmonary bypass) machine. The heart-lung machine diverts blood away from the heart and lungs, adds oxygen to the blood, then returns the blood to the body – all without the blood having to go through the heart. During surgery, perfusionists use the heart-lung machine to maintain blood flow to the body’s tissues and regulate levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. Perfusionists are also responsible for measuring selected laboratory values (such as blood cell count) and monitoring circulation. Under the direction of the anesthesiologist and surgeon, perfusionists may also administer medicines through the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit.
Cardiologists are the physicians that care for your heart and blood vessel health. They are concerned with the structure, function, and disorders of the heart and vascular system.
A Heart Institute cardiologist provide heart and vascular disease prevention and risk assessment. They diagnose heart and vascular disease utilizing a comprehensive range of diagnostic tests and screenings. A cardiologist may receive additional training to perform interventional or electrophysiology procedures.
Nebraska Heart interventional cardiologist specializes in procedures to treat heart and vascular conditions. A general cardiologist provides “non-invasive” treatments, whereas the interventional cardiologist performs “invasive” tests and procedures such as angioplasty or atherectomy procedures, as well as implantation of stents. They can also treat holes in the hearts chambers. All of these treatments are performed through a catheter-based procedure.
An electrophysiologist is a physician who specializes in the heart’s electrical system or rhythms. They are experts in diagnosing and treating irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias).
At the Nebraska Heart, our electrophysiologists diagnose and manage heart arrhythmia problems utilizing a range of diagnostic tests. They implant pacemakers to speed up or slow down irregular heartbeats, implant ICD’s (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) to correct very rapid heartbeats, as well as implant heart failure devices to help coordinate the heart’s pumping action.
Meet our electrophysiologists >>
Our surgeons provide the top expert care in the region. Cardiothoracic surgeons diagnose and treat conditions of the organs and structures inside your chest (thoracic cavity). Vascular surgeons treat the vascular system is a complex expressway of veins and arteries in your body. Vascular surgery may be needed when blocked or hardened arteries lead to vascular disease. Vascular disease can lead to serious side effects such as a stroke.
