HJAR May/Jun 2021

64 MAY / JUN 2021  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds The reflector can be placed any time before sur- gery, even during biopsy, which means a local- ization procedure the day of surgery can be eliminated. Stephen Seffense, MD, general surgeon at Mercy Fort Smith, said the system helps expe- dite surgery, which is beneficial to both patient and staff. “The workflow for both radiology and surgery is much better,” Seffense said. “With the SCOUT localization with the reflector, we can place that anytime before surgery. So, it helps our workflow tremendously. They head right into surgery, and the tumor is already marked.” Michelle Bonds, manager of mammography at Mercy Breast Center – Fort Smith, said the SAVI SCOUT system also helps to reduce the patient’s discomfort. “The wire localization process can only be done the day of surgery, and the wire is inside the breast as well as outside the breast, which sometimes can be uncomfortable for the patient,” she said. “Another benefit of this system is to reduce the patient’s time in the clinic on the day of surgery. We can place a reflector any day before their sur- gery and the patient can’t feel or see the tiny marker, which is about the size of a grain of rice.” Bonds added that the system is “a less invasive way for us to localize the area of interest for the surgeon.” CHI St Vincent Establishes NewAddiction Recovery Program in Arkansas CHI St. Vincent, in partnership with Bradford Health Services, announces an addiction recov- ery program that offers the full continuum of care through an integrated approach that includes both outpatient and hospital inpatient compo- nents. The new program, located at CHI St. Vin- cent Infirmary in Little Rock, marks a significant step forward for the hospital system’s 133-year healing ministry and recognizes the growing need for integrated, compassionate care programs that offer recovery support for addictive diseases in Arkansas. “The opioid crisis was a pandemic ravaging our communities long before anyone had even heard of COVID-19 and our healing ministry has long felt called to provide support to Arkansans suffering from addiction and other addictive diseases,” said CHI St. Vincent Infirmary Chief Medical Offi- cer Gerry Jones, MD. “For too long, the health- care infrastructure has struggled to get them and their families the full continuum of care they need to help them overcome these challenges. Now, with our partners at Bradford Health Services, we’re able to make that compassionate care pos- sible in a setting appropriate to the needs of our patients.” In addition to both outpatient and inpatient ser- vices, the new addiction recovery program at CHI St. Vincent Infirmary includes a private entrance to help ensure patient confidentiality. The dedicated space includes inpatient suites for 30 residential patients, 10 detox spaces, and staff trained in Bradford Health Services’ proven addiction treat- ment methodology in order to help anyone suffer- ing from addiction to find the support and healing they need. Whether suffering from drug, alcohol, food or other substance abuse challenges, the new program incorporates a model designed to provide the necessary help patients need to over- come addiction. “In the past, we have too often thought of addiction in the wrong way. Now we know it is no different from diabetes or COPD. There is no quick and easy solution. It is a health issue that requires ongoing maintenance and care,” said Bradford Health Services CEOMike Rickman. “We have a lot of experience getting people on the path to recovery, and now with our partners at CHI St. Vincent, we can stick with them from a conve- nient, central location that offers everything from detox to longer term residential stays.” The program was made possible with the gener- ous support of donors, including Bradford Health Services. To learn more about resources available through the CHI St. Vincent Addiction Recovery Program in partnership with Bradford Health Ser- vices, visit chistvincent.com/addictionrecovery. CHI St. Vincent Cardiovascular Surgeons Earn Highest Quality Rating for Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Procedures CHI St. Vincent Infirmary cardiovascular sur- geons, part of the CHI St. Vincent Heart Insti- tute, have received the highest rating for qual- ity of care and outcomes for isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures from the distinguished Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). CABG procedures are used to treat coro- nary artery disease and only 6-10% of participating groups receive this highest three-star rating, plac- ing the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute among the elite cardiovascular surgery groups in the United States. “Coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease and it is important that our patients know that they receive the very best pos- sible care here in Arkansas with CHI St. Vincent,” said Marcia Atkisson, president of the CHI St. Vin- cent Heart Institute. “We offer the most advanced diagnostic techniques and cardiovascular technol- ogies for our patients alongside nationally recog- nized surgical expertise.” The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall mea- sures of quality in healthcare, and the three-star rating denotes the highest category of quality the system bestows. The star rating is calculated using a combination of quality measures for specific procedures performed by an STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database participant. STS also recently recognized cardiovascular surgeons at CHI St. Vin- cent Infirmary with another three-star rating for mitral valve replacement and repair (MVRR) sur- gery with CABG. “The Society of Thoracic Surgeons congratu- lates STS National Database participants who have received three-star ratings,” said David M. Shahian, MD, chair of the Task Force on Qual- ity Measurement. “Participation in the Database and public reporting demonstrates a commit- ment to quality improvement in healthcare deliv- ery and helps provide patients and their families with meaningful information to help them make informed decisions about health care.” CHI St. Vincent Infirmary was recognized as the best hospital in Arkansas for cardiology and heart surgery in the 2020–21 Best Hospital Rank- ings from U.S. News & World Report. In Febru- ary, CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute was also one of only two institutions recognized as a center of excellence for both Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) and Transcatheter Edge-to- Edge Repair (MitraClip) (TEER) heart procedures across the 142 hospital and 21 state Common- Spirit Health system. n