Tag Archive - electrophysiology

Electrophysiology Conference Energizes, Empowers TCAI Allied Professionals

June 6, 2011 in Heart, Heart Rhythm with 0 Comments

If you’ve ever been to a professional conference, you know what an energizing experience they can be. You come back to the office with a new vigor for the work you do, and often you are inspired to change your work based on what you’ve learned. This was certainly true for the TCAI nurses and technologists who had the opportunity to attend the premier electrophysiology annual meeting—Heart Rhythm Society conference 2011 (HRS 2011).

This year’s theme centered around Science, Discovery, Innovation, and a focus on Technology. The four-day conference featured electrophysiology’s international heavy-hitters, who presented ground-breaking research into the latest advances in the field. There was a special exhibit this year called the “Networked EP Lab,” in which practitioners could actually try out new technologies that improve patient safety and procedural outcomes. Another attraction was the Atrial Fibrillation Summit, where physicians and allied professionals learned about the current status of and future of AFib treatment strategies.

Though they had the opportunity to attend any of the physician-led sessions, nurses and technologists also had their very own track at HRS 2011—The Allied Professionals Forum. Maegen Lane, RN, BSN, one of TCAI’s Atrial Fibrillation Nurse Educators who attended the conference, remarked that “the Allied Health Professionals Forum was very beneficial to me. It gave me an in-depth look into the anatomy of the electrical conduction system of the heart, pacemaker management tools and a closer look at VT ablation.” This is critical information that Maegen put to use as soon as she returned from the conference, during her patient education sessions.

Most importantly, the allied professionals who attended HRS 2011 were able to network with other nurses and technologists, sharing ideas for how they can better care for arrhythmia patients. Maegen Lane and Greg Gilbert, a supervisor in the TCAI Electrophysiology Lab, met with the course directors for HRS and discussed the potential to use St. David’s Medical Center and TCAI as a site for a future Allied Health Professional regional conference.

A lot was learned in the four days of HRS 2011. The benefits of attending such a conference are likely to last TCAI’s nurses, technologists, and patients until HRS 2012.

~ Jamie LaRue, RN

Three TCAI Staffers Awarded Highest Honor by Heart Rhythm Society

May 23, 2011 in AFIB, Heart, Heart Rhythm with 0 Comments

Ever wonder what all those letters after your doctor’s name stand for? Usually, they mean that a society of practitioners in his specialty has awarded him special distinction, or that he has special certification in a specific branch of medicine. For example, “MD, FACC” after your doctor’s name means that she’s a Medical Doctor and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology.

As of this month, three staff members at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute can tack a few more letters onto their own signatures. Barbara Thomas, RN (Director of Electrophysiology Services), Bai Rong, MD and Luigi Di Biase, MD, PhD (TCAI Research Fellows) were all inducted as Fellows of the Heart Rhythm Society (FHRS) at the 2011 Heart Rhythm Society conference in San Francisco.

Fellowship in the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) is bestowed the most esteemed members of the society for “significant achievements, service, and prominence in the field of cardiac arrhythmia.” Fellows are elected by vote and must receive letters of support from two current fellows. Candidates must be active in HRS committees, hold certification in their specialty, and have contributed to or written at least five publications, two of which must be in peer-reviewed journals.

“This distinction is a great honor,” said Barbara Thomas, RN, after her induction. “Dr. Bai, Dr. Di Biase, and I join the ranks of the world’s most respected electrophysiologists by becoming Fellows.”

Sure, it will take a little more time for these three electrophysiology super stars to write their signatures, but something tells me the honor is worth it.
~ Jamie LaRue, RN