Electronic EKG project improves patient care

A new system for transmitting and storing EKGs throughout Campbell County Health means better care for patients.

Electrocardiography (ECG or EKG) is the process of recording the electrical activity of the heart using electrodes placed over the skin. These electrodes detect the tiny electrical changes on the skin that arise from the heart muscle during each heartbeat. It is very commonly performed to detect cardiac problems, detect the presence of any damage to the heart's muscle cells or conduction system, the effects of heart drugs, and the function of implanted pacemakers.

Patients may have an EKG performed in the Emergency Department, in Campbell County Memorial Hospital, during a clinic visit, prior to an elective surgery, or at The Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center.

Prior to the implementation of the new system, EKG results were printed out on paper and routed to Campbell County Medical Group Cardiology to be interpreted by board certified cardiologists Dr. Nicholas Stamato or Dr. Sairav Shah. While this method worked, delays were possible, and it wasn’t the standard of care for patients.

The new system transmits test results wirelessly from any EKG performed anywhere in the organization to the appropriate provider for reading and interpretation. Results are also included in the patient’s electronic health record so they can be viewed by all caregivers who need them.

It has taken about a year to complete the project, and the CCMG Cardiology staff hope to move to wireless transmission of cardiac stress test results in the near future.

"This is a state-of-the-art system for interpretation of EKGs that also allows a comparison to prior tracings”, said Dr. Stamato. “This will be a significant improvement in patient care”.

If you have heart issues or a family history of heart disease, we have good news: Campbell County Health offers a Cardiovascular Services program full-time in Gillette, Wyoming. Our highly skilled cardiologists at the Campbell County Medical Group Cardiology clinic are here at all times to care for patients and our cardiac cath lab allows us to provide care quickly during an emergency. And, we can help get you back to your daily routine after a heart incident with our Cardiac Rehabilitation program. To learn more, please call the clinic at 307-688-3700 or visit www.cchwyo.org/heart.