Bringing advanced heart care close to home is the goal that has made Southern Illinois Healthcare and our hospitals leaders in cardiac care in southern Illinois. In the last ten years Memorial Hospital of Carbondale has introduced cardiac catheterization and open heart surgery to the area and, with Herrin Hospital and St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, advanced cardiac diagnostics and follow-up treatment.
Our affiliation with Prairie Heart Institute, St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Illinois, one of the highest ranked heart centers in America, has enabled us to be a leader in providing open-heart surgery and other cardiac services to southern Illinois. Our proven team, our top ranking partner and our new facilities provide our patients and physicians access to top-level expert care, close to home.
"We have been extremely successful in bringing modern, comprehensive heart care to the people of southern Illinois. Our goal was to start a program that was the highest quality from the word go. That is exactly what we have today,” said Tom Firestone, MD, president and CEO, Southern Illinois Healthcare.
Since 1999, the cardiac program continues to grow. Southern Illinois Healthcare hospitals continue to build the expertise of the staff, provide the latest diagnostic equipment, develop efficient protocols for emergencies and maintain a nationally certified rehabilitation program.
Six local cardiologists from Prairie Cardiovascular see patients in a new outpatient clinic on the campus of Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. They've also branched out to see patients in Herrin, Benton, West Frankfort, Anna, Harrisburg and DuQuoin. Meanwhile, two local cardiac surgeons of SIU Physicians and Surgeons continue to take on more complex cases, expanding the level of heart care in southern Illinois.
The growth has proven to be a tremendous benefit to the residents. The area is fortunate to have this university-level heart care right at home.