The Heart Center @ 

Grand Strand Regional Medical Center

The Grand Strand Regional Medical Center cardiac team has cared for cardiovascular patients in the Myrtle Beach community since the early 1980s.  We provide the full range of cardiac care, from emergency treatment and diagnostic testing to interventional cardiology procedures (such as stents and angioplasty) to open-heart surgery and cardiac rehabilitation.  The hospital was named #1 for heart surgery for 2010 by Health Grades.

Many departments in the hospital are involved with the care of cardiac and vascular patients.  These include the emergency department, medical, cardiovascular and surgical intensive care units, progressive coronary care unit, radiology, cardiac catheterization lab and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation department.  All of our departments are state-of-the-art with highly trained staff.  At Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, our patients can rest assured that they will receive excellent care.

Emergency

• Our 28 room emergency department (ED) diagnoses and treats thousands of patients each year who arrive with chest pain, stroke symptoms, or other cardiovascular ailments.  All physicians are board certified or board eligible in emergency medicine. 
• The ED continues to set the standard among area hospitals in incorporating the latest systems to reduce patient wait time and operate more efficiently.

Cardiac Catheterization

• The catheterization (cath) lab is a 24-hour, self-contained department offering diagnosis, preparation, procedure and recovery all within the unit. 
• Two laboratories serve as both diagnostic and treatment rooms, performing diagnostic and interventional procedures including stents and angioplasty. Over 5,800 procedures were performed in 2009.
• A third cardiac cath lab provides electrophysiology services.   

Cardiac Surgery

• The cardiac surgery program started in 1995 and is the only hospital in Brunswick, Horry and Georgetown counties with a cardiac surgery program.  In 2009, cardiac surgeons performed close to 361 open heart surgeries, with success rates exceeding national averages. 
• There are two operating rooms dedicated for cardiac surgery.
• Two cardiac surgeons and support staff offer extensive patient consultation and follow-up. 
• Cardiac nurse educators are available 24-hours-a-day to advise patients and families on all aspects of treatment and recovery.

Nursing

• Grand Strand Regional Medical Center has an eight-bed cardiovascular surgery intensive  care (CVICU) and a sixteen-bed medical intensive care (MICU) unit. 
• The MICU unit cares for cardiac patients receiving non-surgical treatments, while the CVICU unit cares for patients recovering from open-heart or vascular surgery.
• The nursing staff members are specially-trained in cardiac intensive care.
• The nursing units incorporate the highest standard of patient care in the most comfortable, private and secure environments.

Cardiac Rehabilitation

A three-phase cardiac rehabilitation program at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center focuses on patient education, nutrition, stress management and exercise.

Staff specialists, nurses and dieticians meet with patients to develop an individual program based on cardiac stress test results and overall health.

 The department includes an exercise center with bikes, treadmills, weights and other equipment.

 The South Strand Ambulatory Care Center facility in Surfside Beach offers Phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation and Phases 2 and 3 pulmonary rehabilitation.

Expansion Plans

A $54 million construction program is underway for consolidation of heart services into a new building and expansion of cardiac beds and creation of stepdown units and emergency department expansion.

The cardiiovascular team is dedicated to improving the cardiovascular health of the area communities.  Grand Strand Regional offers ongoing community education including walk-in cholesterol and blood pressure screenings at HealthFinders at Coastal Grand Mall.  For more information on our communituy outreach services, please contact the Marketing Department at (843) 692-1052.  We wish you the best in heart health!