The hospital was the first in the United States to perform a successful heart transplant and the first to implant an artificial heart in a human. Today, the Texas Heart Institute is home to 148 cardiologists and 22 cardiovascular surgeons who offer a full range of specialty heart programs.
David Pate, MD, JD, CEO of St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, shares five recommendations for developing a successful and excellent hospital heart program.
1. Gain institutional commitment. Dr. Pate says that one of the most important factors for success in developing a heart center of excellence is having an institutional commitment to the program and, more specifically, to the quality of care provided by that program. In order to gain institutional commitment, the top hospital leader must personally commit to taking an active role in advancing the quality of the program.
"You cannot have true organizational commitment to the program if the CEO does not own the quality," says Dr. Pate. "If you are relying on a chief quality officer or director of nursing to oversee the quality, it is unlikely you will get the organizational buy-in needed to be a truly successful and superior program."
Dr. Pate says that he invests a significant amount of time focusing on the quality and efficiency of the hospital's heart services and ensuring that the areas within the program that can be further developed to improve quality of care or expand the services are integrated into the hospital's overall strategic plan.
His commitment and the commitment of the top executive staff at the hospital to continually improving St. Luke's heart program is critical to its success. "Hospital leaders create a vision of what quality for the program is and then define what each employee's role will be in working toward achieving that vision."
It takes the buy-in, commitment and hard work of hospital leaders to create an outstanding heart center. "A CEO has to walk the talk," says Dr. Pate. Relying on others to develop and promote the center's interests will limit the growth of the program, according to Dr. Pate.
2. Identify physician champions. Dr. Pate recommends that leaders of hospitals who want to grow their heart program identify physician champions to advance the program and its interests. A truly outstanding cardiologist or cardiac surgeon who is dedicated to improving a hospital's heart program is critical to the strategic planning process and can spearhead efforts to align physicians, drive quality improvement and bring funding and greater recognition to that program.
A champion who is knowledgeable about advances in the field, proactive in bringing cutting-edge technology and treatments to the hospital and innovative would be a perfect candidate for this role, Dr. Pate says.
The physician champion at St. Luke's is Denton Cooley, MD, a leading cardiovascular surgeon and champion of cardiovascular research and education. Dr. Cooley founded the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's in 1962. His continued dedication to the heart institute and commitment to his field has allowed St. Luke's to be involved in cutting-edge research and has gained the program numerous government grants, research contracts and philanthropic donations.
Finding a physician or physicians to champion your cause might involve identifying physicians already working within your hospital system, or it may mean bringing in outside physicians to lead the program.
3. Invest in the right people. Dr. Pate says that another crucial factor in the success of a heart program is the institution's willingness to invest in the program, adding that institutional commitment is a predecessor to any large investment in a program.
"Recruiting top physicians to your program is a significant expense, but if the hospital board is committed to the program, then they should approve these types of investments," he says.
The idea of "investing in the right people" extends beyond investments in physicians to other employees as well. Hospitals that want to develop outstanding heart programs need to recruit and retain clinical staff that are trained and experienced in the specialty. The hospital should offer educational programs to keep its staff abreast of advances in the field.
In addition to continuing education, St. Luke's nurses are encouraged to give poster and podium presentations at national and international conferences. Many nurses at St. Luke's participate in research.
Dr. Pate attributes a good deal of St. Luke's success in heart care to its nursing excellence. "Our heart program features the most outstanding nurses I have ever had the privilege of working with. Our cardiac nurses have very long tenures and that makes a great impact on the quality of care we can provide," he says.
4. Invest in technology. Heart centers of excellence must offer patients access to cutting-edge technology for both diagnostic services and treatment.
St. Luke's was the first hospital in the world to use the Artis Zeego, a cutting-edge, robotic C-arm for use with interventional radiology procedures, and the hospital continues to invest in technology to advance its heart treatment offerings, Dr. Pate says.
Advanced imaging is one area in which St. Luke's is specifically committed, and this commitment is included in the hospital's strategic plan. "We believe that non-invasive diagnostic imaging is the future of cardiac care," says Dr. Pate. "We have made many advancements in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging and hired an expert in cardiovascular imaging as well as a physicist to advance this area of our heart program."
5. Commit to continual improvement. Dr. Pate says that St. Luke's commitment to continually improving its services is a final reason for the heart program's success. "There is a great commitment on our part to not be complacent," he says.
Although St. Luke's and the Texas Heart Institute already provide outstanding heart care, they are wholly committed to continuing to improve this already high level of care. "We want to keep getting better," says Dr. Pate. "We want to make sure we continue to achieve the best outcomes possible for our patients, as efficiently as possible."
David Pate, MD, serves as a senior vice president for St. Luke's Episcopal Health System in addition to serving as St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital's CEO. He has been with St. Luke's for more than 15 years, having previously served in various roles including chief medical officer. Dr. Pate received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and his law degree, with honors, from the University of Houston Law Center, where he continues to serve as an adjunct professor. Learn more about St. Luke's Episcopal Health System.