Prairie offers unique programs and treatments to ensure that every patient receives the highest quality heart and vascular care. With our unique team-based model, Prairie patients are provided care that exceeds the national standards while offering a customized plan to fit each patient’s individual needs.
See You In Seven
The goal of the See you in 7 program is to ensure we are educating and following patients with heart stents within 7 days of discharge. Studies show patients who are seen by a nurse practitioner within 7 days of discharge from a heart stent have better outcomes. We focus on medication education (DAPT, nitro etc), activity guidelines, enrollment in Cardiac rehab, smoking cessation, general treatment plan after a stent and the diagnosis of CAD. Once a patient is scheduled for a PCI we have them scheduled for a clinic visit with a nurse practitioner. We try to send every patient home with a See you in 7 card with the next appointment date and time along with medication instructions.
Our Proven Program For Better Outcomes
7 Day Follow Up
Medication Education
Cardiac Rehab
Smoking Cessation
Activity Guidelines
Chest Pain Network
The most comprehensive Chest Pain Network in Illinois connects hospitals and local EMS agencies through our exclusive Prairie Heart Institute of Illinois Chest Pain Network system. When the patient arrives in the emergency room, a well-orchestrated series of events and protocols are begun for the swift diagnosis and treatment of heart attack patients.
Standard Protocols
Appropriate triaging of chest pain patients based on the protocol developed by Prairie Heart.
Immediate Priority
Insuring the chest pain is given the priority at the community Emergency Department by administering an immediate EKG.
Comprehensive Approach
A full approach that ranges from immediate transport and intervention to local observation and discharge.
Education
Patient & community education to recognize & react to chest pain, and provide education on the latest diagnostic & treatment options.
Why A Chest Pain Network?
Although chest pain is one of the most common complaints of patients presenting to the emergency department, only 10-15 percent of patients with chest pain are having a heart attack. One of the goals of a Chest Pain Network is to significantly reduce the time it takes to determine the cause of chest pain which reduces the time to treatment during the critical early stages, when treatments are most effective.
Benefits To the Patient
- A rapid determination, without fear or embarrassment, of the cause of chest pain using Prairie Heart Protocols.
- All possible treatment and follow-up provided locally.
- A streamlined process to transfer to a specialized facility if necessary.
- If transfer is necessary, a packet of information for the family members with food vouchers and assistance to identify lodging if necessary.
- Coordination of care with your personal physician.
Benefits To the Community Hospital
- Prairie Heart comprehensive protocols that address all aspects of emergent cardiac care including STEMI, nSTEMI, Observation and Inpatient care.
- Enhanced ability to keep appropriate patients locally and eliminate inappropriate transfers.
- An RN Liaison from the Prairie Heart Institute of Illinois to assist with initial education and implementation of protocols as well as assistance to provide community and professional education.
Care Close to Your Home
We are blessed to live in a region with strong communities in which we feel comfortable and content. But when we have a heart problem that may require specialized care, it often means we are faced with the choice of leaving our community or worse, putting off care. This is not the case when your specialized care is provided by the Doctors of Prairie cardiologists. Our philosophy at Prairie Heart Institute is to deliver as much care as possible locally. If that is not possible, then and only then, will travel be recommended.
Find A Physician and APC Near You
In addition to nearly 40 sites around Illinois where Prairie cardiologists see patients in a local hospital setting, there are specialized programs in Springfield, O’Fallon, Carbondale, Decatur, Effingham and Mattoon.
STAT Heart
No matter where you live, Prairie is with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Our STAT Heart team is always ready when you have chest pain. By partnering with community hospitals, Prairie is available to ensure that you receive the right care at the right location.
When a patient suffers a STEMI (ST-elevation myocardial infarction) — the most deadly form of a heart attack — prompt, seamless delivery of appropriate treatment can make a life-or-death difference. The Prairie STAT Heart Program helps community hospitals hone their lifesaving efforts.
Prairie Cardiovascular initiated the development of the Prairie STAT Heart Program in August 2004 under the direction of Dr. Frank Aguirre and Dr. Frank Mikel. The Prairie STAT Heart Program was one of the first in the country to focus on streamlining emergency care to meet the national goal of providing angioplasty (a non-surgical procedure to treat diseased arteries) within 90 to 120 minutes from a patient’s arrival at the community hospital (often referred to as the door-to-balloon time). This ensures that the patient located in a rural community receives emergent heart care as fast or faster than patients in larger urban areas.
Improving outcomes across our community
The key to the Prairie STAT Heart Program is detailed coordination of all aspects of emergent heart care. Protocols are provided to the 33 participating rural hospitals for the fastest possible triage and treatment of ST elevation myocardial infarction patients. The team includes community and receiving hospital staff, air and ground transfer crews, cath lab teams and Prairie Cardiologists who administer highly specialized lifesaving treatments. We are treating the worst kind of heart attack as if it were a cardiac trauma.
Rural hospitals that want the fastest treatment for their patients have teamed with Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants to be a part of the Prairie STAT Heart Program.
24/7 in Your Community
Prairie STAT Heart Coordinators are available in your community, on call, 24/7 to facilitate the rapid, emergent transfer of all STAT Heart patients.
Prairie STAT Heart Coordinators provide training on the STAT Heart process to all Community Hospitals, EMS ground and air transfer facilities and receiving updates and ongoing communication. The Prairie STAT Heart Program has partnered with the St. John’s School of Nursing for program accreditation.
The Prairie STAT Heart Nurse provides a detailed STAT Heart Report on every STAT Heart activation. This feedback to the Community Hospitals, EMS and Receiving Centers ensures quality, communication, process improvement measures and best patient outcomes.
Julie Richardson, RN, BSN
Chest Pain Network Director
PHII Clinical Programs
The Prairie Rapid Read Network is your secure, web-based solution for the reliable and rapid interpretation of your echocardiograms, echo and nuclear stress tests and vascular ultrasound procedures. Each year, over 10,000 tests are sent from 36 locations.
Transfer
Exams and files are seamlessly transferred to our secure server. The transfer can include images, clips, demographic information, measurements, notes and other relevant digital data.
View
A team of Prairie cardiovascular specialists can immediately view and interpret tests from any Prairie Heart location in Illinois.
Report
With auto-populating review worksheets, reports can easily be prepared, reviewed and completed in a matter of minutes.
Distribute
Once interpreted, reports are automatically distributed to designated recipients via email, fax or PDF transfer.
Breaking away from constraints
The Prairie Rapid Read Network links directly to your Dicom-compatible echo/nuclear equipment and creates a pathway to directly upload studies to a Prairie Cardiologist immediately after testing. The study can then be interpreted by a Prairie Cardiologist and an interpretation sent to you within 48 hours or less (M-F).
Breaking away from the constraints of closed-end, high cost, local network PACS, Prairie Rapid Read offers a no-cost, secure and flexible system. The Prairie Rapid Read service integrates effortlessly into any existing workflow and optimizes your efficiency.
Accreditation and Reimbursement
The Rapid Read Lab and Technologies are ICAEL accredited. Medicare and other payers appear to be moving toward a requirement of accreditation of lab and/or sonographer in order to be eligible for reimbursement.
Why Prairie Rapid Read
We understand the objectives of our partners and the frustration caused by more traditional ultrasound and image exam management services.
Increased Efficiency
Increases efficiency by eliminating redundant data entry and provides a web accessible centralized management system for all of your diagnostic exams and reports.
Financial Flexibility
Prairie Rapid Read grows with your service by adjusting to increases (or decreases) in your exam volume. If you need assistance with hardware selection and pricing, just contact us and we’ll get you the help you need.
Improved Communication
Improves communication by allowing for the easy incorporation of local and remote medical professionals in your patient’s diagnosis and care plan execution.
Cost Effectiveness
By eliminating your current transcription and shipping fees, and DVD, VHS tape and CD expenses, as well as requiring no new hardware or pricey IT start-up expenses, Prairie Rapid Read provides a cost effective replacement for your current process.
Advanced Security
Your patient information is stored on a secure and encrypted server.
Image Quality
Prairie Rapid Read provides a method for third party evaluation of your technical quality.
Accreditation & Credentialing
Prairie Rapid Read’s unique reporting capabilities facilitate both lab accreditation and physician credentialing, and provide daily, weekly and monthly administrative reporting.
Rapid Read
Please contact us for more information on how to launch Rapid Read in your area.
Learn more about Prairie's unique treatments
Contact us if you have questions about these or the many other unique treatments provided by Prairie.