Why Choose CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute?
Access
At CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute, you have access to the state’s largest and most diverse network of heart specialists. And we are close to home with services in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Hot Springs, Searcy and Conway and more than 25 community locations.
It’s All About You
We are leading the way in heart care, shifting the focus from procedure to program, from individual doctor to a team of specialists and primary care, from disease to whole-person wellness. Our team includes CHI St. Vincent Heart Clinic Arkansas (the state's largest cardiology group) as well as heart surgeons in Little Rock and Hot Springs. From aggressive diagnostic routines to the latest surgical procedures to heart health education, we offer comprehensive care close to home.
Learn about our care for heart disease. Hear our patient stories.
Latest Treatments and Technology for Heart Disease
We use the latest treatments for all forms of heart disease -- from common problems to rare or life-threatening conditions. Whether you've been referred for diagnostic testing, cardiac treatment or disease management, your best interests are at the heart of every medical recommendation we make and care option we provide.
With access to 10 cath lab procedure rooms, 6 CV operating rooms, 40 dedicated cardiology critical care beds and over 60 telemetry beds the CHI St Vincent Heart Institute has the resources to care for a variety of patients. Our support team includes advanced practice providers, perfusionists, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists, social workers, and dietitians. With this breadth of specialties we our patients get comprehensive care tailored their individual health concerns and wellbeing. Our group of more than 50 heart specialits bring the diversity necessary to treat each patient's specific condition.
ACE Accredited Cardiac Cath Labs
The cardiac cath labs at CHI St Vincent Infirmary and CHI St Vincent North are the first 2 ACE accredited cath labs in the state of Arkansas, with the cath lab at the Infirmary also holding chest pain accreditation. We see a multitude of procedures including
- Cardiac catheterization (cardiac cath or heart cath) is a procedure to examine how well your heart is working.
- Stenting - a procedure used to open clogged heart arteries
- CTO - minimally invasive technique used to treat patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO), or complete blockages, of the coronary arteries.
- EP studies and ablations - used to treat heart arrhythmia
We bring together the state’s largest group of cardiologists with cardiothoracic surgeons and critical care intensivists to provide comprehensive care to our patients.
Hot Springs Heart Center provides comprehensive services and the latest technology in one convenient location. CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Target: Stroke Honor Roll Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
CHI St. Vincent Infirmary has been ranked since 2012 by U.S. News & World Report as a top regional hospital by achieving high performing status for heart-related categories. We are one of two Arkansas hospitals, and fewer than 20 in the United States to receive Ace Accreditation for Cardiac Excellence for our cath labs. We do more than 3,000 catheterizations a year. Our Jack Stephens Heart Unit offers exceptional service and amenities.
CHI St. Vincent has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® Gold Receiving Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks. The CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock earned the award for meeting specific criteria and standards of performance for quick, appropriate treatment through emergency procedures to re-establish blood flow to blocked arteries in heart attack patients coming into the hospital directly or by transfer from another facility.
CHI St. Vincent North hospital’s heart services include a STEMI program that provides life-saving treatment for patients experiencing a heart attack.
CHI St. Vincent Morrilton also has advanced emergency capabilities to diagnosis heart problems.
Our partners also include with Conway Regional Medical Center and Unity Health – White County Medical Center where our cardiologists take care of patients close to home.
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Awards
CHI St. Vincent Infirmary Named 2022–23 Best Hospital in Arkansas for Cardiology and Heart Surgery by U.S. News and World Report
For the third straight year, U.S News & World Report has named CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock as the best hospital in Arkansas for cardiology and heart surgery. In the publication’s Best Regional Hospital rankings for 2022–23, U.S. News & World Report also identified the Infirmary as “High Performing” in the treatment of Heart Attack and Heart Failure patients in addition to five other procedures and conditions.
“Heart disease has long remained the leading cause of death in Arkansas and even with the many challenges facing healthcare in recent years, we at the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute have remained razor focused on consistently improving care, treatment options and outcomes for our patients,” said Marcia Atkinson, president of the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute. “This incredible recognition for the third year in a row highlights that mission to provide quality, compassionate care for our communities and shows that with early detection and proper care, Arkansans have access to the heart care resources they need.”
For cardiology and heart surgery, CHI St. Vincent earned an aggregate score 35% higher than the second ranked hospital in the state. The U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on an independent analysis of multiple data categories, including patient outcomes, volume of high-risk patients, patient experience, nurse staffing and advanced clinical technologies.
In May, CHI St. Vincent Infirmary was recognized by the American College of Cardiology as one of the nation’s top performing hospitals for the treatment of heart attack patients and one of only 240 hospitals nationwide to receive the college’s NCDR Chest Pain - MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award. Cardiovascular surgeons with the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute at the Infirmary in Little Rock also earned two distinguished three-star ratings for patient care and outcomes from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the highest quality rating that organization bestows. For more information about the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute, visit: www.chistvincent.com/heart