The same-day procedures are used to pinpoint problems such as blocked arteries. Kenneth Baughman, M.D., director of the cardiology division at Johns Hopkins, said the center adds an important point of access to the new Johns Hopkins Cardiovascular Network, which became effective Jan. 1. The network brings together more than 211 cardiologists in 223 locations throughout Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia, who participate with Hopkins in providing cost-effective managed care. The cardiologists are credentialed by Johns Hopkins and may have privileges to perform catheterizations at the facility. Patients at the center are assigned to private rooms where family members or friends can be with them before and after the procedures, which in most cases take less than 30 minutes.
Families remain with the patients during a recovery period of only a few hours before discharge.
Also, patients get written and video information about their procedures and are told what is being done during each step of the process. In some instances, it changed their perception of what Hopkins is and what we're trying to do. Increasingly, we're hearing good things about our access and communications. The network will meet accreditation standards of the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Hopkins has also created a physician advisory board made up of Hopkins and community physicians to help develop practice criteria, clinical guidelines and utilization and quality control standards.