Outpatient Cardiology (SSHC)

Covenant Short Stay Heart Center is designed for the needs of the cardiac outpatient where the patient can be admitted and prepared for their procedure and recovered and discharged if going home the same day. The procedures are done in the Cardiac Cath Lab or the Electrophysiology Lab.

 

The goal of Short Stay Heart Center is to provide efficient, quality care to each Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology customer in a safe and relaxed environment.  Christian concern will be demonstrated by adhering to the Covenant values of Justice, Dignity, Excellence and Service.

You will pre-register for your procedure at the Surgical Assessment Services (SAS) department located at 4102 24th Street, Suite 100.  This office is located on the Covenant Lakeside campus.  We encourage you to complete a Patient Health History form in an effort to expedite your admission process.  You will need to select the underlined text above in order to print the form.  Complete it to best of your ability and bring it with you when you pre-register.  

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHORT STAY HEART CENTER PATIENTS:

 

♥   Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night prior to your procedure, unless otherwise instructed by your physician.

♥   Take your medications as instructed by your Cardiologist.  If you are taking a blood thinner, such as Coumadin or Warfarin, please check with your doctor to see if it needs to be discontinued prior to your procedure.  If you are diabetic and take insulin or oral diabetic medications, check with your physician regarding your morning dose.  Please bring all medications with you in their original bottle.

♥   It is essential that you bathe the night or morning prior to your procedure to help prevent infection.

♥   Cell phones are allowed in the Waiting Room, but we ask that they be turned off in any other area, including the patient room.

♥   One or two visitors are welcome in your hospital room. There is also a Waiting Room on the unit for the comfort of your guests.

♥   If you live greater than 30 miles away, be prepared to stay in town overnight following your procedure.

♥   You will not be able to drive for at least 24 hours following your procedure, so please make arrangements for transportation needs. It is also recommended that you do not stay alone the first night following discharge. You should have someone stay with you, if at all possible.

♥   Please leave your jewelry and valuables at home.

♥   Remove all body piercing jewelry.  This includes the ears, abdomen, belly button, tongue, nose, and genital area.

♥   We recommend wearing your glasses and/or hearing aid during the procedure, as applicable.

♥   Wear casual, loose fitting clothing to the hospital.

   ♥   If you develop any illness such as a cold, sore throat, cough or fever before your procedure, call your Cardiologist as soon as possible.

 

 Short Stay Heart Center – About the Unit

 

Open Monday – Friday, 6:00 am until 6:00 pm (closed on holidays)

 

We aim to make your stay as comfortable and as stress free as possible. You will be welcomed in the Admitting Office on the 6th floor of Covenant’s Heart and Vascular Institute upon arrival. The Admitting Clerk will take any information needed to process your admission. You will then be taken to your private room. You may be asked to remove all clothing except socks and put on the hospital gown, leaving the opening in the back.

 

The nursing staff will prepare you for your procedure. An IV will be started and blood work obtained if needed. A shave prep will be performed according to the scheduled procedure. An EKG may be required. The nurse will perform an assessment and will ask questions and give any needed instructions. Please take this opportunity to ask the nurse any questions you need answered. Your heart rhythm may be monitored before and after your procedure.

 

When your physician is ready for your procedure, the nurse will come to your room and give your preop medication, if ordered by your physician. You will then be taken for your procedure on a stretcher. Most diagnostic procedures such as Cardiac Catheterization, Coronary Angiography (angiogram) do not require an overnight stay, so you will likely return to the same room.  If you have an intervention such as a Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) or Stent, you may be admitted directly from the procedure area to an in-patient room.

 

Upon return to the Short Stay Heart Center, you will be closely monitored by the nursing staff until fully recovered. The nurse will provide discharge instructions to you and the person who will be staying with you. You will be assisted to your vehicle upon dismissal.

 

You will receive a follow-up phone call within a couple of days of discharge so that we can check on your progress and answer any questions you may have about your procedure and plan of care.

 

SHORT STAY HEART CENTER – OUR LOCATION

Short Stay Heart Center is located on the 6th floor of the Covenant Heart and Vascular Institute. This building is located just south of the main hospital and is directly north of the East Parking Garage. Valet Parking goes between the main hospital and the Heart Institute building.

 

If you are using Valet Parking, you will enter the Heart Institute building through the sliding glass doors in the building to the left of the drive. Take the elevators to the 6th floor.

 

If parking in the East Parking Garage, go to the 3rd floor and walk across the sky bridge. Follow the arrows on the walls into the Heart Institute. Go through the waiting room on the 3rd floor to the elevators and take the elevator to the 6th floor.

 

When you arrive on the unit, go into the waiting room, which is the first door on the left. There will be a clipboard on the right hand side of the room. Please sign in and have a seat. The Admitting Clerk will call for you when ready and complete the admission process. You will then be taken to your room.

 

We hope your stay at Covenant Heart and Vascular Institute is a pleasant experience.  If you have any questions please call us at (806) 725-1516

 

Those who visit the Surgical Assessment Services department to pre-register, will be given a card with a phone number to call for a time to arrive at the hospital.  The number is 806-725-1516.  Please call the business day prior to the procedure between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m.  Arrival times are assigned to help minimize the pre-procedure wait time, but delays can occur.  Please be prepared to stay all day.  Due to unpredictable events, which occur in the hospital environment, we cannot always predict what time your procedure will be performed. 

 

We hope your stay in Covenant Heart and Vascular Institute is a pleasant experience. If you have any questions, please call us at 806-725-1516.

 

TRAVEL TO COVENANT HEART INSTITUTE

 

Valet parking is available starting at 5:30 a.m. and can be accessed on the 21st St entrance. There is a $4.00 fee. Patients who utilize the Surgical Assessment Services will be given a Free Valet Parking pass.

 

You may also use the East Parking Garage, which is directly south of the Heart Institute, and accessed on 21st St. You will be given a pass to park in the garage free of charge when you are admitted.

 

SHORT STAY HEART CENTER – USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

 

Covenant Medical Center                                  806-725-1011

Short Stay Heart Center                                   806-725-0752
Short Stay Heart Center fax                              806-725-0759

Schedule Coordinator                                       806-725-1516

Surgical Assessment Services                          806-725-6250