Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas

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EP LAB DIGEST. 2025;25(1):1,18-24.

Praveen Rao, MD, Manish Assar, MD, and Ophebia “Phoebe” Pegues MHA, BSN, RN, Supervisor-Electrophysiology 
Dallas, Texas

When was the cardiac electrophysiology (EP) program started at your institution, and by whom?  
In July 1986, Kevin Wheelan, MD, started the EP program with the first EP laboratory in Texas that was not part of a medical school. In 1987, Baylor implanted the first implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in North Texas and Jay Franklin, MD, FACC, FHRS, implanted the first dual-chamber ICD. 

What drove the need to implement an EP program? 

The EP program sprang from the need that was created by the increasing complexity of pacemakers and the ability to offer more specialized expertise in heart rhythm management than was available with a general cardiologist. 

What is the size of your EP facility? 
There are 4 EP laboratories at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas. In addition, we assist the EP physicians with laser lead extraction cases in the operating room, also located on the Dallas campus.

Has the EP program recently expanded in size? 
The hospital’s fourth EP laboratory was fully renovated and reopened June 20, 2024. The orientation of the fluoroscopic unit was changed to allow for more workspace and improved workflow.

Who manages your EP laboratory, and what is the mix of credentials and experience? What is the number of staff members? 
All members of the EP team are registered nurses (RNs), including the supervisor and director. Approximately half of the EP team has more than 15 years of EP experience, including one member who has been an RN for 30 years, with the majority of years working in EP. Some team members have cardiac catheterization laboratory experience and have worked in the EP device industry. A few team members are new to EP or have less EP experience. However, their critical care experience has equipped them to handle high-risk and complex situations. The EP nurses are multigenerational and culturally diverse. Each brings invaluable skills, unique strengths, and different perspectives to enhance the delivery of quality patient care. 

The department has a total of 15 RNs. The team includes: Laurie Barta, RN; Andrea Blackburn, BSN, IBRHRE; Deanna Buckallew, BSN, CV-BC; Lisa Dodd, RN, CV-BC; David Eiler, BSN; Nicole Fuller, BSN, CV-BC; Bailey Higgins, BSN; Raul Huerta, BSN, ENPC; Crystal Ordner, BSN, CV-BC; Annette Parise, RN, CV-BC; Kelly Pinaga, BSN, CV-BC; Angella Shelton, BSN; Cassandra Silcock, BSN, BCEN; Jacquelyn Swaim, BSN, CV-BC; Gabriela Vasquez-Espinosa, BSN; Ophebia “Phoebe” Pegues, MHA, BSN, RN, supervisor; and Mike Walsh, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, director. 

The electrophysiologists on staff include: Manish Assar, MD, FACC, FHRS, medical director; Jay Franklin, MD, FACC, FHRS; Alan Donsky, MD; Praveen Rao, MD; George “Grant” Heberton, MD; Peter John Wells, MD, FACC; Rajjit Abrol, MD; Ryan Williams, MD; Olusegun Oyenuga, MD, FAAC, FHRS; Rajeev Joshi, MD; and Robert Drutel, MD.  

A group of qualified, tenured anesthesiologists, including Udaya Padakandla, MD; Keshava Suresh, MD; and Selvi Pohar, MD, are dedicated to the EP program. They have provided quality anesthesia services to EP patients for more than 20 years.

What types of procedures are performed? 

Device services include:
•    Pacemakers: temporary, permanent, and leadless pacers
•    Defibrillators, including extravascular ICDs
•    Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) pacemakers and defibrillators
•    Left bundle pacing therapy
•    Central sleep apnea therapy devices
•    Cardiac contractility modulation therapy devices
•    Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) devices 
•    Implantable loop recorders (ILRs)
 
Cardiac ablations are performed on patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, premature ventricular contractions, ventricular tachycardia (VT), and issues related to the atrioventricular (AV) node. Ablative techniques include radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, and pulsed field ablation (PFA). EP studies and tilt table testing are additional services. The EP team assists the EP physicians with laser lead extractions, which are performed in the operating room (OR).

Approximately how many ablations (for all arrhythmias), device implants, lead extractions, and LAACs are performed each week?
In fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024), the total case volume was 2347, which averages to ~45 weekly. These cases included: 
•    Permanent pacemaker insertions/replacements: 468 annual / ~9 weekly
•    ICD implants/replacements: 305 annual / ~6 weekly
•    ILRs: 288 annual / ~5 weekly
•    AF ablations: 563 annual / ~11 weekly
•    AV node ablations: 45 annual / ~1 weekly
•    SVT ablations: 245 annual / ~5 weekly
•  VT ablations: 132 annual / ~3 weekly

What types of EP equipment are commonly used in your laboratory? 

The EP laboratories at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas are equipped with sophisticated 3-dimensional (3D) mapping technology, decreasing the need for fluoroscopy and improving procedural time efficiency. The hospital utilizes mapping systems from Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Boston Scientific, and Abbott. Cardiac device therapy options are offered by Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Abbott, and Johnson & Johnson MedTech.

What are some of the new technologies and techniques recently introduced in your laboratory? How have these changed the way procedures are performed? 
The hospital recently added a cloud-based imaging service for complex cardiac ablation procedures. The technology, inHeart, helps improve the efficiency and safety of complex cardiac ablation procedures through enhanced 3D images. 

In April 2024, the Farapulse PFA system (Boston Scientific) was added at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas as a treatment option for AF. Thanks to PFA technology, the hospital’s AF case times have decreased from 3 to 4 hours to about 45 minutes to 2 hours.  

Tell us more about your program’s use of PFA, including initial experience.
PFA technology has increased throughput of AF ablations in the laboratory, with the majority of our patients going home the same day. The procedure times are shorter and patients are having fewer postablation pericarditis symptoms than they did with thermal ablation.

Discuss your use of hybrid AF ablation, including patient selection and heart team approach. 
We partner with the cardiothoracic (CT) surgeons on the hospital’s medical staff to perform the convergent hybrid AF ablation in a staged manner. The treatment option is for patients with either long-standing persistent AF as an initial procedure, or for those patients who have had prior endocardial ablations and continue to suffer from persistent AF. To date, our experience and outcomes have been very positive.

How is inventory managed in your EP lab? 
The Baylor Scott & White Health Supply Chain, strategic sourcing leaders, and the EP departmental director oversee supply acquisition. Designated members of our EP team assist in managing par levels, supply utilization, and inventory. The EP team supervisor and director routinely communicate and collaborate with the EP physicians to evaluate cost-saving opportunities. 

Discuss your approach to remote monitoring of arrhythmias. 
Remote monitoring is managed through the physician offices.

Tell us what a typical day might be like in your EP laboratory. 
A daily team huddle is held at 7:00 AM. Huddles include celebrating successes, discussing goal metrics, and exploring ways to improve. The hospital’s points of focus are shared and team/room assignments are announced. We utilize an alarm to ensure that our huddles are limited to no more than 10 minutes. At 7:20 AM, each circulator RN either directly transports his or her first patient into the EP laboratory or enters a request for a patient transporter to bring the patient into the EP laboratory. The goal is to have the first case inside the EP laboratory by 7:45 AM. Anesthesia services are provided for all EP cases except for tilt table testing and ILR implants. RNs do not perform moderate sedation, but they do scrub, circulate, and document cases. After their procedures, patients are transported to the post-anesthesia recovery unit before returning to their pre-operative unit. 

Most EP cases start at the beginning of the day. However, some EP physicians begin cases mid-morning or around 12:00 PM. We average 2 RNs per case. However, for complex cases (ie, VT ablations), we plan for 3 RNs. Routinely, we utilize 4 EP laboratories that encompass a variety of cases. Case volumes vary. While many patients are treated on an outpatient basis, the hospital provides service to inpatients at the hospital, as well as those at Baylor University Medical Center and the emergency department (ED). Cardioversions are performed by the hospital’s noninvasive department. The EP team manages ILR implants at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas and at Baylor University Medical Center. Because of our strong patient volume, we work long hours to ensure that every patient receives the care they need. We have a designated late team every day. At times, a second team is required to stay late to complete cases. Late teams are rotated and scheduled, with each having 2 RNs. 

Can you describe the extent and use of vascular closure devices in your program? 

A variety of vascular closure devices are available. These devices are used selectively for patients who struggle with bed rest or for those who otherwise would have stayed overnight just for the bed rest period. Since sheaths are removed in a post-anesthesia recovery area and not in the EP laboratory, whether closure devices are used does not affect lab turnaround time.

How do you ensure timely case starts and patient turnover? 
Recently, we completed a process improvement to positively impact first case start time. Variables that impacted delayed start times were identified (ie, securing arterial line by an anesthesiologist or unavailable patient transporters). The focus of improvement efforts changed to focus on controllable factors. 

The new goal is patient wheels-in by 7:45 AM to support a case start time of 8:15 AM. At 7:20 AM, the EP RN requests patient transport to bring the patient to the EP laboratory or personally transports the patient. Our patient wheels-in score has improved from 70% to 80%, with consistency and communication as key factors fueling the improvement process.

How does your laboratory schedule team members for call? 
The EP team rotates call on major holidays. Four team members are on call at a time.

Do you have flexible or multiple shifts? 
The EP team works 10-hour shifts, 4 days per week, except 2 RNs who work 30 hours per week. Same-day add-on cases are usually posted before 2:00 PM. Business hours are 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

How do you handle slow periods?  
For low-volume days (ie, during spring break), team members are placed on call. One team member may work in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Another may work in the health care improvement department assisting in completing post-discharge patient phone calls. Additionally, we maximize the opportunity to complete system and EP-specific learning modules and organize supplies. Recently, during downtime, we created a map for storing EP equipment. This allowed us to promptly identify specific equipment, which reduced room turnover time and improved our preparation for the following day.

How are vendor visits managed? 
All vendor visits are managed through Symplr. The EP charge nurse and EP supervisor directly manage vendor presence in the EP laboratory. 

What are the best features of your EP lab’s layout or design? 
EP laboratory #4 was recently renovated and offers optimal capacity. The reorientation of the fluoroscopic unit provided more room for the anesthesiologist and EP providers. The redesign maximized space to allow for a dedicated storage area for ultrasound and mapping equipment. 

What measures has your laboratory implemented to cut or contain costs? 
The EP physicians partner with the EP team to streamline catheter usage. The EP department director works with the supply strategic source support team to ensure LAAC market share compliance. We collaborate with our health care quality department to analyze data related to cost per case. The EP physicians are actively involved in discussions focused on streamlining supplies using comparative analysis to optimize cost savings. Additionally, we partner with supply chain leaders to implement changes and optimize supply acquisition strategies as part of a system-wide approach.

What quality control measures are practiced in your laboratory? 
Each month, our health care quality leaders meet with the EP physicians and EP departmental leaders to discuss quality metrics and performance measures, including topics related to surgical site infections, procedural complications, and EP and device registry requirements. Individual scorecards were developed using analytics tools related to mortality and readmissions.

Each week, nursing administration and departmental leaders meet with coding, billing, and revenue integrity teams to discuss cases that present opportunities for improving coding accuracy and provider or procedural documentation. We also explore case mix and review prior authorizations to better understand payor requirements and expectations.

Discuss the role of mid-level practitioners in your laboratory. 
We are proud to be a teaching institution to help train the next generation of EP physicians, EP advanced practice providers, and EP laboratory nurses. Our hospital also helps train EP mappers and device technicians, in addition to allowing high school and college students to observe this rewarding field. 

What works well in your laboratory for onboarding new team members? 

The hiring process at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas is rigorous. Candidates complete a series of interviews post-recruiter screening. A leadership panel also interviews candidates using behavioral-based questions. Expectations are outlined for candidates. 

Each potential hire will complete a shadowing experience in the EP laboratory to assess their compatibility with the work environment, understanding of the workflow, and proficiency in required skills. Job shadowing is essential for gaining practical insights into the role, responsibilities, and work culture.

After being hired and onboarded, each candidate completes Baylor Scott & White Health System’s orientation, followed by extensive onboarding specific to Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas. New hires are assigned preceptors who have been formally educated in the system’s clinical coach class. 

The EP supervisor frequently discusses strengths and opportunities with preceptees and preceptors. Some new hires receive online EP education provided by Springboard Health.

Each leader at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital provides a list of ‘Expectations for Excellence’ for each team member to sign. It signifies a commitment to serving with integrity, honesty, and professionalism, which includes maintaining a professional appearance and conduct. It also involves giving and receiving constructive, behavior-based feedback, fostering a culture of belonging, and building collaborative relationships across multiple units and disciplines. Additionally, it requires active engagement within the organization and dedication to continuous learning and professional development, including completion of national certifications. 

What continuing education (CE) opportunities are provided for staff members? How do staff typically maintain and renew credentials? 
Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas offers education to enhance staff learning and provides CE credit via online resources. EP vendors regularly host “lunch and learn” events and share education related to new and/or existing products and technology. RNs in the EP laboratory attend a biweekly lecture by one of the electrophysiologists on the hospital’s medical staff on an EP-related topic. Additionally, the local EP society meets each quarter.

Share a memorable case from your EP laboratory and how it was addressed. 
In 2020, a 20-year-old man collapsed while jogging. He was unconscious for at least 10 minutes, but his neighbor, who knew cardiopulmonary resuscitation, saved his life. One of the electrophysiologists on the hospital’s medical staff determined that the patient had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, and his ablation was performed in our EP laboratory. A local reporter, who had recently had a similar diagnosis and had received treatment in our EP laboratory the year prior, interviewed our patient. To date, both young men are thriving.

How has using a third party for reprocessing impacted your laboratory?  
We have seen significant savings using reprocessed vs original equipment manufacturer equipment. 

Discuss your program’s approach to conduction system pacing (CSP). 
CSP is gaining increasing use in our laboratory. We balance needing CSP with traditional CRT and the emerging role of leadless pacing devices. It is an exciting time for pacing, and we are actively participating in evaluating new techniques and products as they become available.

Tell us about your primary approach for LAAC.
We use a mix of both Watchman (Boston Scientific) and Amplatzer Amulet (Abbott) devices for LAAC. This is largely dependent on patient anatomy and preference. We also have surgeons trained to perform LAA clips that can be done at the time of other cardiac procedures such as valve surgeries or convergent AF ablation.

Does your program have a dedicated AF clinic?   
The hospital has a complex AF clinic that primarily serves patients referred for convergent hybrid AF ablation. The clinic is managed through the hospital’s heart rhythm center and is staffed by an electrophysiologist and CT surgeon.

Discuss your approach to lead extraction and management. 
We receive regional referrals for laser lead extractions in patients who have infected devices, lead fractures, or need upgrades to dual-chamber or biventricular pacing where there is venous occlusion. These procedures are performed in the OR with a cardiac anesthesiologist. We risk stratify the patients from high to low risk based on the number, age, and type of leads along with the patient’s comorbidities. For all high-risk cases, we have a designated CT surgeon who has preoperatively seen the patient and is on standby. In addition, such high-risk cases may warrant transesophageal echocardiography by anesthesia as well as a superior vena cava balloon prepped and inserted into the body. Even for low-risk patients, we make sure a CT surgeon is in the hospital, and we reserve the left groin for arterial and venous access in case extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is needed. A perfusionist is available for all cases. The key to a safe and successful laser lead extraction is preparing all team members to act in a concerted fashion.

Discuss your program’s approach to lifestyle risk factor modification for AF reduction. 
Lifestyle modification is a key part of managing AF to maximize long-term success rates. We counsel the patients on healthy lifestyle habits such as losing weight, controlling blood pressure and diabetes, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol. This is part of all clinic visits before and after an ablation, and part of the discussion during long-term follow-up. Many patients have also started on weight loss medications through their primary care physicians. In addition, the hospital started a sleep center that has enabled patients to be screened for sleep apnea, another commonly linked comorbidity with AF. 

What are your thoughts on recommendations from the 2023 ACC/AHA/ACCP/HRS Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of AF, and how has it impacted your clinical practice?
With the updated guidelines for AF, we have begun offering ablation up front for most patients as an alternative to long-term antiarrhythmic medications. With PFA technology, procedures have also become safer and more efficient.

Discuss your approach to treatment of AF in patients with heart failure (HF).

We aggressively manage AF in patients with HF, which is a strategy well supported in recent literature. The hospital has a large HF and transplant program, which the EP program partners with to reduce AF in patients using ablation.

Discuss your approach to intravenous (IV) sotalol loading for patients with AF, including effect on hospital length of stay. 
The hospital has both IV and oral sotalol available for loading. The IV formulation shortens the necessary length of stay and reduces a barrier to the patient for starting this medication.

Discuss your approach to arrhythmia management in athletes. 
For all patients, we offer a choice of both medical therapy or an ablation procedure if appropriate. Athletes are frequently sensitive to their heart rate slowing due to medical therapy, so they usually do better with an ablation.

Discuss your program’s initial treatment and management (including referrals) for patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) or Long COVID. 
We diagnose patients with POTS using a tilt table test. The EP team also manages these patients by providing resources for hydration and exercise regimens, as well as medical therapy if necessary. Patients suffering from Long COVID symptoms also frequently have POTS or inappropriate sinus tachycardia. Many have also documented arrhythmias that require treatment.

How does your EP laboratory handle radiation protection for physicians and staff? 
The radiation safety officer for Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas shares the radiation safety report with the EP supervisor, who posts it on the EP huddle board. Lead aprons and radiation badges are routinely inspected by a member of the EP team. This person also serves as the departmental radiation safety officer.

What approaches has your laboratory taken to reduce fluoroscopy time? 
At the beginning of 2024, we acquired a radiation shielding system. The EP team participates in regular educational training on radiation safety, which includes fluoroscopy time management. 

What percentage of cases are done without fluoroscopy? 
The majority of cases are performed using fluoroscopy. However, for some ablation procedures, we utilize some EP mapping systems that provide minimal to zero-fluoroscopy exposure.

How do you record fluoroscopy times and dosages?
Radiation doses, etc, are entered into each case in the electronic medical record. Cases with extended fluoroscopy exposure and dose thresholds are automatically alerted and managed using a radiation dose management software.
 
What are some of the dominant trends you see emerging in the practice of EP? 
In general, there is a move toward more procedurally oriented treatment strategies rather than relying on long-term medical therapy. Advancements in ablation technologies enable us to serve a wider variety of patients. Using these procedures earlier in a disease course makes them safer and more effective. In the field of pacemakers and defibrillators, there is an exciting trend of new products designed for CSP, leadless devices, and extravascular devices.

How do you use digital health and wearable technologies in your treatment strategies? Has use of digital health improved patient outcomes? 
Many patients have wearable devices that intersect with their arrhythmia care. We leverage patients’ enthusiasm to understand their own health conditions and encourage them to send us their personal electrocardiogram records from their wearable devices. Frequently, these are the first indications a patient receives about a new arrhythmia, allowing us to diagnose and treat their condition much sooner. 

Is your EP laboratory involved in clinical research studies? 
The research laboratory is actively involved in a variety of research trials from ablations to pacemakers and LAA occlusion devices. The research program is growing, and we are excited to continue participating in an increasing number of future trials.

What is considered historic about your EP program or hospital? 
Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas is a Magnet-recognized, fully accredited heart hospital in Dallas serving residents of more than 10 cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex. 

In its 2024-2025 “America’s Best Hospitals” list, US News & World Report recognized Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas and Baylor University Medical Center as “High Performing” in the Cardiology, Heart, and Vascular Surgery specialty. Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas and Baylor University Medical Center were also rated as “High Performing” in Heart Failure. 

Baylor University Medical Center and Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas, have earned a coveted spot among the “50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals 2022,” according to Fortune and IBM Watson Health. 

Has your program or hospital recently experienced any “firsts”? 
Our EP program began PFA procedures for AF in March 2024 and performed our first extravascular ICD implants in April 2024. In July 2024, George “Grant” Heberton, MD, was the first electrophysiologist with Baylor Scott & White Health System to utilize InHeart technology for a VT ablation case. In September 2024, Praveen Rao, MD, was the first electrophysiologist to implant a dual-chamber leadless pacing system at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas. Also in 2024, Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas was the first in Dallas to launch the Carto upgraded mapping software version V8 (Johnson & Johnson MedTech), which offers enhanced signal analysis, improved substrate characterization, and utilization of ultrasound technology.  

Describe your city or general regional area. How is it unique? 
Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas is located in the heart of the city of Dallas and of Dallas County. As the eastern anchor of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan statistical area, the hospital is continually challenged to meet the growing heart and vascular health care needs of the area’s more than 8.1 million residents.¹ More than 20 counties are included in the tertiary service area, although transfers for advanced cardiovascular care are accepted on an almost daily basis from across the southwestern United States.

The hospital is adjacent to Baylor University Medical Center, a part of Baylor Scott & White Health, which provides quaternary care. 

Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas’ immediate total service area includes 4.9 million residents with a burgeoning segment of multiracial individuals. Hispanics represent the fastest growing component of the area’s population. With diversity comes the challenge to accommodate cultural beliefs about health and health care. In 2022, the hospital launched the Hispanic Cardiovascular Institute with nurse navigation to assist families with cardiovascular needs. Further stratification of the Community’s Health Needs Assessment report²  by the Dallas Metropolitan Health Community revealed: 
·    The community is growing at a rate higher than both the state of Texas and the US.
·    The average age of the population is younger than the US and slightly older than Texas overall.
·    The median household income is significantly higher than both the state and the US.
·    The community served has a lower percentage of uninsured and underinsured than the state of Texas.

For cardiovascular services overall in the DFW market area, Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest not-for-profit health care system in the state of Texas, maintains the #1 market share position for cardiovascular care.  

What specific challenges does your hospital face given its unique geographic service area? 
As the DFW metropolitan area continues to grow, the demand for cardiovascular and vascular services is rapidly increasing. The first hospital in North Texas dedicated to heart and vascular care, Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas has a proud tradition of bringing the latest technologies to residents. This is certainly true of the Dallas campus’s EP department.  

With more than 2 decades of service to the community, the hospital has expanded the EP department’s capabilities to encompass the latest and most innovative approaches to care. With population growth has come the need to understand and serve the heart and vascular health needs of an increasingly diverse populace where heart rhythm disorders are increasing at a rapid pace.

Within this market, there is both a highly affluent population and an underserved population with a high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. The area is also highly multicultural with several international and national company headquarters. People have migrated to the Dallas area from across the globe to work in the city. This means it is not only mandatory to understand and accommodate unique cultural beliefs about health care, but it is also crucial to meet communities where they are with preventive and interventional services. 

For those challenging and at-risk neighborhoods within the immediate service area, the hospital has been proactive in addressing social determinants of health challenges, including helping residents overcome food deserts, transportation challenges, and health care literacy. Health equity and access to programs and services is a top priority for the hospital as it continues to define top-level heart and vascular care.

Please tell our readers what you consider special about your EP laboratory and staff. 
We are proud that all members of our team are RNs and possess the skills and qualifications to perform all roles in the EP laboratory. They play a critical role in patient care management, assessment adeptness, and informed clinical decisions. All RNs, except the 2 newest team members, rotate in the charge nurse role after completing leadership training. The EP charge nurses collaborate with the coders and are instrumental in ensuring appropriate procedural terminology codes are timely and correctly billed. All RNs actively manage procedural charge capture and reconciliation. Members of our team assist with supply management and radiation safety. A member of our team provides EP-related education during facility orientation for new and experienced RNs. We allow students, nursing assistants/patient care technicians, and other nurses to shadow our EP nurses in the EP laboratories. The aim is to facilitate a better understanding of EP and improve continuity of care.

A few of our RNs host and provide education to our “Wired for Life” patients. This program began approximately 20 years ago. It provides ICD patients with guidance, encouragement, and support to improve their well-being. The classes alternate between online and in-person formats, and are offered on a bimonthly basis. Patients also receive education on nutrition from a registered dietician.

The EP team is also active in shared governance councils at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas, including the Clinical Practice Council, Professional Development Council, Patient Experience, Patient Education, and STARRS (Service-Training-Accountability-Recrutiment-Retention-Satisfaction). Participation in community service is the norm. We maintain a collaborative and professional relationship with our physicians, which promotes trust, effective communication, and a shared engagement in accomplishing desired patient outcomes. 

References

1. More Counties Saw Population Gains in 2023. United States Census Bureau. Published March 24, 2024. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/population-estimates-more-counties-population-gains-2023.html

2. Community Health Needs Assessment. Dallas Metropolitan Health Community. Baylor Scott & White Health. Published 2022. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://www.bswhealth.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/about/community-health-needs-assessments/CHNA-2022/dallas-metro-2022-chna-report.pdf