Why did you choose to work in the invasive cardiology field?

For me, the cath lab is the best place to work. Where else in life can you get instant gratification and patient satisfaction?

Can you describe your role in the cath lab?

I have had a few roles in the cath lab. I started in the room as an RN. I soon learned how to pan and drive the c-arm and table. These were the days of chasing 35mm film through stinky solutions in the dark! After becoming pregnant, I learned to record/monitor the cases, as our station was outside the room. I was the flow coordinator for C

This all sounds like good news! However, the detail of the FY08 IPPS rule includes the most significant change in the way hospital inpatient services are reimbursed since the adoption and implementation of the current DRG system in 1983, namely the adoption of the Medicare Severity DRG system (MS-DRGs). The MS-DRGs will be phased in over the next two years using a blended payment of the old and new systems.

The Medicare Severity DRG system (MS-DRGs)

Under the new system, the existing list of 538 DRGs will be replaced with 745 MS-DRGs that take into consideration the severity of

ACVP's Awards program allows us all to be excellent! This is a great way to recognize your peers and their contributions, not only to the Alliance, but to the healthcare profession. The ACVP nomination process is easy you can nominate online at www.acp-online.org. Take the time to honor someone you know self-nominations are accepted too!!

ACVP Awards and criteria are outlined below:

Innovator Award

This award recognizes individuals who have made cumulative contributions to the field of cardiology and/or pulmonary and healthcare in general.

Criteria: Candidates

Joseph De Gregorio, MD, Chief of Interventional Cardiology and Interventional Research, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, New Jersey

Can you tell us about the cath lab at Hackensack University Medical Center?

De Gregorio: Hackensack is the fourth-largest medical center in the country and one of the top fifty rated cardiac centers in the U.S. We perform over 3,000 coronary interventions a year along with a significant number of peripheral procedures.

Tell us about your experience with the Runthrough NS (nitinol stainless) guidewire.

Yes, it is important to understand how breathing affects pressure waveforms to obtain the most accurate readings. To do this, we have to revisit the basic mechanics of normal respiration.

Let’s bring out an experiment that you should remember from junior high or high school. Hopefully, you recall the bell jar (Figure 1) experiment, used to demonstrate how our lungs work.

Simply, this is a large glass dome with some small balloons inside and a large piece of rubber attached to the bottom. The large piece of rubber also has a knob on it that you can hold. In this experiment, we think

Carnegie Institute was recently privileged to have a visit by the Boston Scientific (Natick, MA) simulation van and the SimSuite (Medical Simulation Corporation, Denver, CO) hands-on demonstration team. Our invasive cardiovascular technology (CVT) instructors and students had an opportunity to work on a complex right coronary artery (RCA) lesion and manage the various complications that arose. A steady stream of administrative staff and admissions counselors were also able to view the process up close, providing them with a deeper understanding of the high-tech world their students will be ent

Attendance is voluntary, but students enrolled in our Accelerated Cardiovascular Technology Training Program (through our affiliation with Howard Community College in Maryland) and less-experienced staff are strongly encouraged to participate. Many of our vendors voluntarily support the fair by underwriting some of the expense, but also by coming in person to set up stations for hands-on demonstrations. Additionally, one or more of our attending physicians will give a talk to the entire assemblage.

This year, the fair was held on August 25th, a Saturday morning, from 8:30 am until 12:45 pm

MARCH 2007

The Angiographic Step-Up and Step-Down: A Surrogate for Optimal Stent Expansion by Intravascular Ultrasound

Haldis TA, Fenster B, Gavlick K, et al.

Background. Standard high-pressure stent implantation frequently results in suboptimal stent expansion by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) criteria. We aim to show that routine expansion of the stent to a diameter greater than the reference segment, leading to an angiographic step-up at the proximal stent edge and step-down at the distal stent edge, results in improved stent expansion.

Methods.

Re: Question Gauging Interest in Cardiology Physician Extender Program

Dear Sir or Ma'am,

I would definitely have an interest in the development of a cardiology physician extender program. I supervise a cath lab in an Army Medical Center, and I know that my staff, as well as other US Army Cath Techs, would be very much interested in any higher education they may receive pertinent this field.

The Army is typically supportive of our efforts to further our education with tuition assistance for accredited programs, so please do forward what information you have, and note my per

By combining a realistic environment for fluoroscopy with a radiological/ cross-sectional anatomical reference tool, Vycaria's virtual cath lab viewer (VCL) may help to:

Increase the efficiency and safety of diagnostic and interventional procedures.
Reduce the radiation dose to both staff and patients.
Increase lab throughput.

VCL Fluoroscopy and MRI

VCLs are computer-based fluoroscopy simulators and anatomical viewers. They use a real-time, interactive, 3D games-rendering engine (similar to Playstation and Xbox) to deliver a PC-based virtual catheterization laborato