By David Rogers. January 17, 2011. BOONE – With three cardiologists and two nurse practitioners, as well as a full complement of administrative and support staff on board, The Cardiology Center of Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) has quickly hit full stride in providing cardiology services to the High Country.

Just over two weeks ago, ARHS completed the transition and opened a new cardiology specialty center, The Cardiology Center of ARHS, in the same location of the previous Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute clinic.  According to ARHS spokesperson Gillian Baker, ARHS did not purchase the business. “Sanger made a decision to leave this market,” the ARHS Vice President for Corporate Communications explained.  “We began discussions with Sanger in late summer, when they indicated to us their plans to leave the community.  Sanger stopped operations at their Boone office on December 31, 2011.”

Hardly skipping a beat, on January 1^st ARHS opened The Cardiology Center, retaining Dr. Peter Ashline and Katherine Smid, MS, ACNP-BC, and adding Joan Stelzner, MS ANP-BC . In addition, Cardiologists Dr. Tyson Bennett and Dr. Francis Le are providing care at the Center until two new Cardiologists can be recruited.   Dr. Bennett was previously with the Sanger Institute, and Dr. Le is new to the Center.

“It is exciting to be more fully integrated with the services of Appalachian Regional Healthcare System,” Dr. Ashline told Blowing Rock News on Tuesday. Ashline was formerly affiliated with the Sanger Institute at the Boone location.

“The transition to The Cardiology Center of ARHS has been great, as the ARHS team has worked collaboratively with our staff to ensure that the change is seamless for our patients. We look forward to continuing to serve the cardiology needs of our community,” the cardiologist concluded.

Given certain circumstances, The Cardiology Center offers appointments for office visits and consultation on a same day basis, but certainly within 48 hours.  Blowing Rock News stopped by earlier this week for a tour, and saw many of the cardiology specialty’s latest testing technology. Among them were:

• King of Heart monitors
• 24/48 Holter monitors
• Atrial fibrillation monitor
• EKGs
• Echocardiograms
• Stress Echocardiograms
• Exercise treadmill tests
• Nuclear tests (treadmill, induced, and more)
• Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterizations
• Transesophageal Echocardiogram

The Cardiology Center is also recognized as a device clinic for patients with pacemakers and defibrillators, and can implant pacemakers and defibrillators.  The Center can also admit and consult on all cardiac patients at Watauga Medical Center.

Patients of the Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute-Boone wishing to remain a patient of The Cardiology Center of ARHS do not need to do anything special; all Sanger patient charts were transferred to the new Center.

For more information about the Cardiology Center of ARHS, visit www.apprhs.org/cardiology-center or call 828-264-9664.

Comments: