MHMH Unveils $7M Heart Cath Lab Upgrade

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Memorial Health Meadows Hospital recently unveiled their newly upgraded heart catheterization lab, which underwent a $7 million renovation to help improve cardiac care within the facility.

Memorial Health Meadows Hospital Director of Cardiovascular and Sleep Services Heather Walters said that when she first began working at the hospital in 2002 – which was known as Meadows Regional Medical Center at the time – the heart catheterization lab was only equipped to diagnose cardiovascular disease rather than treating it.

“In those early years, patients who needed lifesaving interventions such as stents or balloon had to be transferred to larger percutaneous coronary interventioncapable hospitals in Savannah or Macon. Dr. [Joseph] Giles performed diagnostic catheterizations at Meadows, and patients requiring further treatment were transported to Savannah, typically by EMS,” Walters explained. “Everything changed in 2010, when Meadows launched its STSegment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) program and received approval to perform coronary interventions. This allowed the hospital to treat heart attack patients on site, keeping patients and their families closer to home for their healthcare needs.”

She shared that when the hospital moved into its current facility in 2011, designers had planned for growth, as they left spaces for new technology and labs to be located. The newest catheterization lab lies within this once-vacant area, making it appear as if it were part of the hospital’s original design.

“In 2021, we joined the HCA Healthcare family. With expanded resources and strategic focus, [the hospital] prioritized growth of its cardiovascular programs. A major advancement came in 2023, when electrophysiologists Dr. [Todd] Senn and Dr. [David] Newton began practicing in Vidalia. These two specialized in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias— such as atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. Again, our focus was giving patients and their families the option of specialized care close to home,” Walters remarked. “However, the additional procedures presented a new challenge: lengthy electrophysiology procedures required for us to go on STEMI diversion – temporarily pausing our ability to accept emergency heart attack patients.”

This issue caused hospital administrators to begin thinking of how they could create a way in which individuals facing heart attacks and other cardiovascular emergencies could be treated closer to home rather than having to be diverted to other hospitals, and ultimately, they decided on the creation of a second lab.

She continued, “The new cath lab eliminates that barrier. Now our team can care for patients experiencing heart attacks at any time, without interruption, while continuing to grow our service line. Beyond expanding our capacity, the new lab brings cutting edge technology, offering our providers the most advanced tools available for diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease.”

This new lab is equipped with ClarityIQ technology, which provides high-quality imaging at a much lower radiation dose, making it beneficial for patients and staff by enhancing safety and clearer image quality. The lab has a large display screen with a drag-and-drop layout which allows applications to be controlled from a single touch screen-allowing highly improved workflow and efficiency. It also has full 3D rotation around patient, allowing providers to move the device without repositioning the patient.

The new technology will help Senn and Newton to perform procedures – especially peripheral procedures – better, as the lab is flexible and provides better quality imaging. The addition of a second catheterization room means that patients experiencing heart attacks will not need to be diverted to other hospitals, which allows local providers to better serve communities and patients. In addition, this technology also improves physician recruitment, as this high quality technology is attractive to many cardiologists.

The hospital unveiled their new lab to the public during a ribbon cutting and heart health fair on February 26, where community members were invited to tour the lab, meet the cardiovascular health providers, and learn more about keeping their heart healthy. “Today reflects years of dedication by staff, physicians, leadership, and the community and we are so happy to have each of you here to celebrate with us,” Walters told attendees.

For more information on Memorial Health Meadows Hospital, visit their website or call (912) 535-5542.