Hi navy2878,
A common mistake people often make is to search for "the best"
physician for complex conditions which require a team of highly
trained professionals working together rather than just one
specialist. You have one such team established in British Columbia at
St. Paul's Hospital's "The Heart Centre", in association with the
Vancouver General Hospital, the University of British Columbia, and
others. If your personal physician hasn't given you a referral to The
Heart Centre yet, you should request one.
The Heart Centre
Comprehensive Care, Teamwork, Applied Research
"A unique resource in the province, the St. Paul?s Heart Centre
provides complete care for British Columbians with all kinds of heart
disease. The services at St. Paul?s include heart disease prevention
and reversal, a variety of diagnostic services and of course, a full
spectrum of treatment and care, including surgery, transplants and
rehabilitation. The Heart Centre?s health professionals work as a
team, sharing information and forming care plans tailored to each
patient. In addition, the Heart Centre?s home is in a large general
hospital that offers the support of a critical care department and
emergency services. Thanks to the concentration of cardiac
professionals ? and their participation in world-class research ? the
Heart Centre has achieved many ?firsts? in the treatment of heart
disease, and is the only centre in the province to provide a number of
complex procedures.
Working in affiliation with the cardiac programs at Vancouver General
Hospital, Children?s and Women?s Health Centre of British Columbia,
within Vancouver Coastal Health, the St. Paul?s Heart Centre is a
resource for all British Columbians."
http://www.heartcentre.ca/approach.shtml
"The Heart Centre at St. Paul?s Hospital works together with a group
of partners which are listed in this section. For a detailed
description of each partner organization, please click on the
individual links below."
Providence Health Services Authority (PHSA)
PHSA Cardiac Services
BC Children's Hospital
BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre
BC Cardiac Registries
BC Transplant Society (BCTS)
Vancouver General Hospital (VGH)
University of British Columbia (UBC)
http://www.heartcentre.ca/partners.shtml
St. Paul?s Hospital opens $5.25-million Heart Centre expansion
VANCOUVER - St. Paul?s Hospital has expanded its Heart Centre with an
investment of $5.25 million in new resources.
"The renovation and expansion will improve access for patients who
need specialized diagnostic, therapeutic and device implantation
procedures, particularly related to rhythm disturbances of the heart.
This will allow many patients to be treated sooner, and, in some
cases, shorten their stay in hospital..."
?These renovations will ensure that the latest medical advances are
available to B.C. patients with heart conditions. Providence Health
Care, Vancouver Coastal Health and our other partners in healthcare
are committed to ensuring that B.C.?s cardiac patients have the best
technologies and treatment options available,? said Dr. Ron Carere,
Physician Director of the St. Paul?s Heart Centre..."
The new Electrophysiology suite and renovated Cardiac Procedure room
will be equipped for:
? Electrophysiology mapping to diagnose and treat selective fast heart
rhythm problems that once required a lifetime of medication or were
resistant to medication.
? Pacemaker insertion that enables patients who have received
temporary pacemakers to receive their permanent pacemakers and leave
hospital sooner
? Insertion of implantable defibrillators, an electrical device
capable of detecting life threatening disturbances in the heart rhythm
and restoring it to normal with an electric shock, saving the patient
from sudden death
? Heart biopsies to take tiny samples of heart tissue for diagnostic
purposes; one of the important tests for heart transplant rejection
? Transesophageal echocardiography, which is a diagnostic ultrasound
test that provides an exceptionally detailed view of the chambers of
the heart
Established in 1994 with the help of $10 million raised by St. Paul?s
Hospital Foundation, the Heart Centre has built an international
reputation for its work in the prevention of heart disease and the
care, treatment and support of people living with heart conditions.
As the largest and most comprehensive cardiac care program in British
Columbia, St. Paul?s serves a number of unique patient populations and
many of the province?s most complex and difficult cardiac cases. Its
services include everything from heart attack prevention programs and
open-heart surgery to unique programs such as heart transplantation,
the Pacific Adult Congenital Heart Clinic, and mechanical support
(ventricular assist devices) for patients with severe heart failure."
http://www.canhealth.com/News253.html
St. Paul?s Hospital
SPECIALTY AREAS
"St. Paul's Hospital is recognized provincially, nationally and
internationally for a number of specialty programs and services. Some
are offered nowhere else in BC.
As a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of British
Columbia, basic health research at St. Paul's has a cardiovascular,
pulmonary & critical care focus ? complementing a number of the
priority clinical service areas. St. Paul's is designated the
provincial Heart Centre, offering services ranging from prevention and
rehabilitation to heart transplantation."
http://www.providencehealthcare.org/about_hr_stpauls_specialty.html
The Heart Centre at St. Paul's Hospital
Clinics, Hours + Contacts
"The Heart Centre at St. Paul?s Hospital offers a number of clinics.
To participate in the any one of the following clinics, a referral
will need to be made by a physician. Click here to be redirected to a
list of referral forms on the Heart Centre site."
http://www.heartcentre.ca/clinics.shtml
Here is a sample of some of the programs offered:
Healthy Heart Program
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Main floor B180 - Burrard Building
1081 Burrard St
Healthy Heart Program
Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
Main floor B180 - Burrard Building
1081 Burrard St
Heart Function Clinic
5C/D ? 5th Floor Providence II Building
1081 Burrard St
Pacemaker Clinic
5C/D ? 5th Floor Providence II Building
1081 Burrard Street
PACH ? Pacific Adult Congential Heart Clinic
5C/D ? 5th Floor Providence II Building
1081 Burrard St
The heart centre
"The cardiac program is BC?s only provider of the full spectrum of
cardiovascular care combined with active research in virtually all
program areas. Thirty-three per cent of provincial cardiac surgeries
are done at Providence, including 27 per cent of BC?s most serious or
life-threatening cases. Close to 60 per cent of Providence?s cardiac
surgery patients?including complex and general?reside outside of the
Vancouver Coastal Health region."
http://www.providencehealthcare.org/documents/PHC_Annual_Report.pdf
The Heart Centre's physicians
http://www.heartcentre.ca/people_physicians.shtml
APPROACH (Alberta Provincial Project for Outcome Assessment in
Coronary Heart Disease)
"Several health regions and institutes have adopted APPROACH?s
database system as a basis for their own cardiovascular registry
programs. APPROACH holds an annual meeting each spring to bring these
institutions together to discuss issues and topics related to
cardiovascular data collection and research."
British Columbia Cardiac Registries
Dr.Chris Buller, Head, Div. Cardiology
Vancouver General Hospital
Dr. Ron Carere
St. Paul 's Hospital
Lion's Gate Hospital
http://www.approach.org/about/national_partners.html
Heart transplant survival rates
BC vs Canada
1 Year 85.9% 83.7%
3 Year 82.5% 79.0%
5 Year 79.6% 74.7%
http://www.transplant.bc.ca/stats_faqs_main.htm
DR. CHRISTOPHER E. BULLER
2/9/2004
New Chair in Cardiology
"Dr. Christopher E. Buller has been appointed as the Sauder Family
Heart and Stroke Foundation Chair in Cardiology at the University of
British Columbia. Dr. Buller replaces Dr. Charles Kerr, who served
from 1997 as our first Chair in Cardiology.
Dr. Buller is a clinical professor at the University of British
Columbia, and a member of the divisions of cardiology at both
Vancouver Hospital and St. Paul?s Hospital since 1991.
International reputation
Active in both clinical trials and outcomes research, he has
established an international reputation as an interventional
cardiologist. Building on the work of Dr. Kerr, Dr. Buller will
continue to work with the Foundation in creating new linkages to
clinical research.
Once an orchestral musician, Dr. Buller recalls that he was attracted
to cardiology during medical school when he became ?hooked on the
physiology of the cardiovascular system and on the acuity of
cardiovascular disease. Cardiology is changing rapidly, and there is
rapid uptake of new research findings into clinical practice.?
http://ww2.heartandstroke.bc.ca/Page.asp?PageID=740&RecordID=2909&Src=news&Language=English&CategoryID=15&SubcategoryID=139
DR CARERE
Launch of Cardiac Sciences & Trauma Services Pilot Programs
"As part of our strategy for One Acute Network, Vancouver Coastal
Health (VCH) in partnership with Providence Health Care (PHC) is
launching two regional pilot programs, one in Cardiac Sciences and the
other in Trauma Services.
Dr. Ron Carere, Physician Program Director for the Heart Centre at St.
Paul's Hospital, has accepted the position of Regional Medical
Director of Cardiac Sciences and Dr. Richard Simons, Medical Director
in Trauma Services at Vancouver General Hospital, has accepted the
position of Interim Regional Medical Director of Trauma Services. They
will be responsible for providing leadership in the overall planning
and integration of acute cardiac services and trauma services
throughout VCH and PHC ? with the ultimate goal of supporting
excellence in patient care."
"Dr. Carere will continue in his current position as Physician Program
Director for the Heart Centre at St. Paul's Hospital, which has
provided him considerable experience in the delivery of cardiac care
locally and throughout the province. Prior to this position he was the
Clinical Associate Director for the Division of Cardiology at St.
Paul's Hospital from 1999 to 2001 and a Medical Director for the BC
Cardiac Registries. He has been a member of the Provincial Advisory
Panel on Cardiac Care since 1994."
http://www.vch.ca/medlink/in_the_news/0203_Launch_of_Cardiac_Sciences_and_Trauma_Services_Pilot_Programs.htm
Additional Links of Interest:
Canada - links
Capital Health Region - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Fraser Health Authority - British Columbia, Canada
Ottawa Heart Institute - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
The Toronto Hospital - Toronto, Canada
University of Alberta Hospital - Division of Cardiology - Alberta, Canada
University of Alberta Division of Cardiology - Alberta, Canada
University of Calgary Cardiovascular Research Group - Calgary, Canada
University of Toronto - Cardiac Gene Unit - University of Toronto, Canada
University of Toronto - Cardiac Surgery - Toronto, Canada
Vancouver Hospital & Health Sciences Centre - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Victoria Heart Institute Foundation - Victoria, BC, Canada
http://www.cardiologyonline.com/institutes3.htm#CANADA
This cardiologist received the Order of Canada:
Eldon Raymond Smith, O.C.
Calgary, Alberta
Officer of the Order of Canada
"Eldon Smith has displayed an uncommon level of dedication to the
health and welfare of others. This cardiologist and researcher earned
widespread recognition for his research into hypertension and cardiac
failure. Professor emeritus and former dean of medicine at the
University of Calgary, he developed new partnerships that allowed the
faculty to grow. His broad legacy includes the establishment of a
magnetic resonance research centre in Calgary, home to the only
intra-operative MRI magnet in the world. As a consultant, he provided
valuable guidance in setting up educational and health care programs
in Russia, New Zealand and the Philippines. He is also known for his
contributions to numerous medical organizations, committees and task
forces. "
http://news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=183459
HeartInfo
http://www.heartinfo.org/ms/nav/network/main.html
CCS Awards
http://www.ccs.ca/awards/award_winners_e.aspx
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
"What started as a department in a hospital has evolved into Canada's
only complete cardiac centre, encompassing prevention, diagnosis,
treatment, rehabilitation, research and education."
http://www.answers.com/topic/university-of-ottawa-heart-institute
Welcome to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute
"The University of Ottawa Heart Institute is one of the largest heart
centres in North America dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis,
treatment, rehabilitation, research and education of cardiovascular
disease. Annually, UOHI serves over 76,000 outpatients, more than
6,000 inpatients, and an alumnus of some 10,000 patients. UOHI is also
home to the Canadian Cardiovascular Genetics CentreTM, an emerging
international leader and the first in Canada dedicated to mapping,
identifying and determining the function of genes responsible for
heart disease."
http://www.ottawaheart.ca/UOHI/
The Montreal Heart Institute marks 50 years of excellence
Ultra-specialized Institution serving the community
"Montreal Heart Institute founder, Dr. Paul David, was nothing if not
visionary. In 1954, over a half-century ago, he came up with the
avant-garde concept of establishing a Montreal-based medical centre
that would focus exclusively on treating cardiovascular diseases; he
also wanted it to have its own research centre so patients would be
among the first to benefit from the latest scientific breakthroughs.
Today, Dr. David's philosophy is alive and well at the Institute,
where his successors continue to pool their resources to achieve one
common goal: improving the quality of life and medical care of
patients with heart disease."
The Facts
* The top heart centre in Canada: 4 hemodynamics rooms, 4 operating
rooms, an electrophysiology lab, state-of-the art diagnostic services,
and a prevention and rehabilitation centre.
* A dedicated medical team: 188 physicians, including 42
cardiologists, 9 heart surgeons, 11 anaesthetists, 75 researchers, and
a support staff of 400 nurses and over 1,000 other specialized
employees.
* A unique multidisciplinary approach conducive to healing and
resulting in shorter hospitalizations.
* A specialized clinical network for accurately evaluating the needs
of every patient and giving them personalized care with thorough
follow-ups.
* Thousands of procedures performed annually, including 1,122
bypasses, 4,000 angiographies, 2,200 angioplasties and 552 vascular
surgeries.
* Over 50,000 patients treated every year
Major Achievements
Interesting Factoid
* In 1954, the Montreal Heart Institute was Canada's 1st specialized
heart centre and the 2nd to open its doors in North America.
World Premieres achieved at the MHI:
* 1st pacemaker implant in Quebec (1961)
* 1st aortic valve replacement in Quebec (1963);
* 1st selective coronary angiography in Quebec (1964)
* 1st heart transplant in Canada (1968);
* 1st aorto-coronary bypass in Québec and the 2nd in Canada (1969)
* 1st coronary angioplasty in Canada (1980);
* 1st laser angioplasty (1987) (dilatation de valve mitrale au Canada?) (1987)
* 1st atrial fibrillation treatment by cryoablation in the world (1998)
* 1st biological mitral valve implant in North America (2002)
Development of innovative technologies:
* Pacemaker;
* Defibrillator;
* Discovery of a new molecule;
* Radiological and nuclear imaging system
http://www.fondationicm.org/en/a-propos-institut.html
MHI
http://www.icm-mhi.org/en
"Building on Don Mazankowski's legacy and commitment to Albertans and
Canadians, the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute will play a
prominent role in cardiac care, research prevention, and education.
Opening in 2007, the facility will serve Edmonton, Alberta, Western
Canada and the Canadian North."
http://www.albertaheartinstitute.ca/news/feature_stories/A_Great_Canadian.htm
Cardiovascular Specialists Links
http://hsl.mcmaster.ca/tomflem/cardiovascular.html
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
WHAT IS DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY?
WHAT CAUSES DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY?
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY?
HOW IS A DIAGNOSIS OF DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY MADE?
OTHER INVESTIGATIONS THAT MAY BE NECESSARY
COMPLICATIONS OF DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY
TREATMENTS
PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT IN CARDIOMYOPATHY
BOOKS/TAPES
GENERAL ADVICE
http://www.cardiomyopathy.org/html/which_card_dcm.htm
Cardiomyopathy
http://ww1.heartandstroke.ca/Page.asp?PageID=1975&ArticleID=5089&Src=heart&From=SubCategory
"Everyone listed on these pages has a heart problem. Look for others
with the same heart problems you have, and you can talk to them by
e-mail."
http://www.chfpatients.com/biosgate4.htm
I was glad to work on this for you, it has been very interesting. I
spent many hours searching for a good alternative to The Heart Centre,
but I believe you can't do any better in BC. Of course if you moved
east, the MHI and the UOHI (listed above) are both excellent but so is
The Heart Centre. If you have any questions, please post a
clarification request and wait for me to respond before closing/rating
my answer.
Wishing you well. Thank you.
Sincerely,
hummer
Some of the search terms used:
cardiomyopathy heart cardiology centre institute canada canadian
cardiologists bc british columbia dr. buller carere cardiac
professionals vancouver statistics |
