Andrea Natale, M.D., FACC, FHRS, FESC, executive medical director, Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center, discusses how to build an electrophysiology (EP) program at the 2017 Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) annual meeting.
He explains what centers need to consider when creating an EP program, including what is required for device programs that include pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), as well as the technologies and know-how for catheter ablation programs. He discusses who should be involved in creating an EP program and how EP needs to interface with other departments and subspecialties around the hospital.
Natale is a world recognized leader in the field of electrophysiology. Prior to the establishment of Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center, Natale was a member of the Cardiovascular Medicine Department at the Cleveland Clinic from 1999 to 2007, and served as section head for the Department of Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology and as medical director for the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Atrial Fibrillation. In 2006, Dr. Natale was named to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Task Force on Atrial Fibrillation.
Read the article "Growing a Cardiac Rhythm Program in a Community Setting."