Procedures and services

Headquartered at Holmes Regional Medical Center, Health First Heart Institute is the framework that supports heart care throughout all of Health First. Some of the services and procedures we offer include:

Coronary artery disease

• Atherectomy - rotational and directional
• Balloon angioplasty/PTCA
• Bypass surgery, endoscopic vein harvesting
• Laser procedures - transmyocardial revascularization (TMR)
• Stents - coronary stents, peripheral vascular stents, and vascular brachytherapy

Congestive heart failure

• Drug therapy
• Left and right ventricular assist therapies
• Ventricular remodeling surgery
• Biventricular pacing therapy
• Transplantation (through our affiliation with the University of Florida College of Medicine)

Valvular heart disease

• Valve replacement - mechanical and tissue
• Valve repair
• Valvuloplasty - mitral, aortic, pulmonic, and tricuspid
• Ross aortic valve procedure

Rhythm problems

• Drug therapy
• Diagnostic electrophysiology studies
• Implantable defibrillators
• Pacemaker implantation: phases I - IV
• Therapeutic electrophysiology

Prevention and rehabilitation

• Phase I and Phase III rehabilitation
• Screenings that include wellness exams, cardiovascular risk assessments, hydrostatic weighing, and nutrition and lifestyle counseling
• Education

Support groups

• Congestive Heart Failure
• Young Cardiomyopathy
• Mended Hearts

Facilities

In addition to providing services at Holmes Regional Medical Center (HRMC) in Melbourne, Health First Heart Institute supports care at Cape Canaveral Hospital (CCH) and Palm Bay Community Hospital (PBCH). Our combined resources include:

• Seven advanced cardiac catheterization laboratories (5 at HRMC ,1 at PBCH, and 1 at CCH)
• Three open-heart surgical suites (HRMC)
• 16-bed cardiovascular intensive care unit and 10-bed coronary care unit (HRMC)
• First Flight - the region's only aeromedical helicopter service
• Electrophysiology lab (CCH)

Where experience counts

Clinical studies show that more experience means better results, and HRMC's outcomes meet or exceed those of the best programs in the country. Nearly 9,000 cardiac patients are treated every year at HRMC, and cardiac specialists at Health First facilities perform more than 6,000 invasive procedures and more than 700 open-heart procedures per year. That means our patients benefit from high success rates and quicker recoveries at lower costs.

We're also proud to have the skill and support necessary to bring the latest advances in heart care to our community. Some of our milestones and achievements include:

• We were among the first in Central Florida to offer endoscopic surgical procedure for use during coronary artery bypass surgery.
• We were among the first in Central Florida to install the industry's latest echocardiography systems in all Health First hospitals.
• Ranked number one nationwide in evaluating stents for clinical research.
• We were the first in the state of Florida to implant the investigational JOSTENT stent graft with special exemption for compassionate use from FDA.
• We led a national study that allows Brevard paramedics to administer a lifesaving, clot-busting drug to patients before they even arrive at the hospital.
• We trained local firefighters to use electrocardiograms and provide vital information to the hospital before the patient arrives.
• First in Brevard to perform the Ross aortic valve procedure.
• First in the region to perform transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMR).
• One of the first in Central Florida to offer an endoscopic vein harvesting procedure for use during coronary artery bypass surgery.
• HRMC is one of the first facilities in the United States to offer drug-eluting stents for heart disease
• HRMC listed in Money magazine as one of "America's Top Hospitals" for interventional cardiology

The Art of Heart Care: HFHI Quality Report (PDF, 5 mb)

For more information about Health First Heart Institute, call us at 1-800-700-HEART.