The Physicians and Staff at Vital Heart & Vein (VHV), the largest private practice cardiovascular group in Houston, Texas, are excited to have moved into their new 60,000 SqFt facility, which is home to the group’s full-service medical practice; an advanced non-invasive ancillary testing center; a blood lab; and a dual entity outpatient Cath Lab.
“We are very pleased to have transformed our vision into a reality.” says Dr Mazen Ganim, an interventional cardiologist and group president. “We wanted to create a first-class, full-service location that catered to the clinical needs of our patients, while providing a lower-cost solution for their care.”
Located just outside of Houston in Humble, Tx, the Center is home to the group’s full-service medical practice; an advanced non-invasive imaging center; a blood lab; and a dual entity outpatient Cath Lab.
Patients are able to have their routine office visits at the Center; routine lab testing; and advanced non-invasive imaging such as Cardiac PET Scanning; Computerized Tomography (CT); and Computerized Tomography Angiography (CTA).
Patients are also able to receive invasive / interventional services at the Center, in the Dual Entity Cath Lab. The ‘dual entity’ lab consists of two independent clinical entities that will each utilize the center on separate days: A physician-owned Office-Based Surgical Center (aka Office Based Lab or ‘OBL’); and a physician-owned Ambulatory Surgical Center which will be Federally Licensed and Joint Commission Accredited. This unique structure allows for a wide range of service offerings for patients who seek treatment for elective procedures in non-acute care settings, including Invasive / Interventional Cardiovascular, Peripheral Vascular, Electrophysiology, and Interventional Radiology procedures.
Dr. Rick Ganim, also an interventional cardiologist at VHV, wanted to address several key needs with the Center’s design. “We needed a facility capable of meeting the current and future growth demands of a large cardiovascular practice, as well as the unique clinical needs of our patients. And, we wanted to make sure the design and aesthetics of the facility itself were consistent with the standards of clinical excellence and quality that we are committed to providing to our patients and their families.”
“We knew we needed specific expertise and experience for the Dual Entity Cath Lab aspect of the project” stated Jason McCafferty, Vital Heart’s Chief Administrator. “We reached out to Heartland to help us develop an operationally effective and regulatory compliant business model; along with a physical environment that would meet accreditation standards while integrating with our existing practice. Partnering with them on the development phase as well as the operational management helps us ensure that we are operating efficiently and in compliance with ASC standards.”
The OBL entity, saw its first patient in February and with the Ambulatory Surgery Center scheduled to open in April, the group is excited about their enhanced ability to meet the needs of their patients. “Initial feedback from our patients has been very positive. They simply love the layout and design of the facility, and especially appreciate the personalized care that they receive here, particularly those patients and families who have had similar procedures performed in a hospital environment” stated Heather Collier R.N., Clinical Director of the Invasive/Interventional Labs. “As clinicians, we appreciate having the ability to offer that kind of personalized experience while still adhering to high clinical standards. We use national evidence-based guidelines for patient selection. Our equipment and supplies are equal to or better than what is available in a hospital setting. And, we apply rigorous standards of clinical quality and operating protocols in order to achieve and maintain federal licensure as an ASC.”
The patient-centric design of the Center is evidenced by the generous apportionment of space, state of the art equipment and patient safety systems, and luxurious aesthetics. There is even a Starbucks coffee center in the main lobby, which was something VHV was able to include in their development. The OBL/ASC boasts two dedicated operating rooms, one of which is equipped with a floor-mounted Cannon 5-Axis Infinix Imaging System; and 9 patient bays which are all completely private. “Overall, the development of this center by Vital serves as a great example of what large Cardiology groups can do to drive down the cost of healthcare spending while serving patients in an environment that they appreciate and want to come to”, stated Adam Sprunger, a Principal with Heartland Heart & Vascular.
Ben Stokes, also a Principal with Heartland Heart & Vascular, echoed those comments. “Vital was already a dominate Heart & Vascular brand in the Houston market. They have now set the standard for delivering comprehensive Heart & Vascular care in a freestanding environment.”
About Vital Heart & Vein
Formerly known as Cardiovascular Association, Vital Heart & Vein (VHV) was founded in 1998 by a team of highly trained cardiologists and vein specialists in Houston, Texas. The practice has grown to a team of 19 Providers and 80 support staff, and provides services throughout the greater Houston, Tx area, with locations in the Texas Medical Center; Humble; Kingwood; Pearland; and Pasadena. VHV is dedicated to providing patient-centered, comprehensive care, in a high-quality outpatient environment. For more information, please visit https://www.vitalheartandvein.com/
About Heartland Heart & Vascular, LLC
Established in 2007, Heartland has deep specialization in Heart & Vascular Services and has worked with numerous private practices across the country in the design, development, and operations of physician-owned freestanding Heart & Vascular Treatment Centers (i.e. Office-based Labs and/or Ambulatory Surgical Centers).
In 2018, Heartland entered into partnership with Surgical Care Affiliates, Inc. (SCA) in order to create a best-in-class platform for the development and management of freestanding Heart & Vascular Centers. This new partnership leverages Heartland’s deep expertise in the areas of H&V OBL / ASC development with SCA, one of the largest providers of Outpatient Surgery in the United States. SCA has a network of more than 200 ASC’s located across 35 states and performing over 1 million procedures a year. In 2017, SCA joined the OptumCare division of Optum, which is part of the UnitedHealth Group. For more information, please visit http://www.heartlandpartners.net