Continuum of cardiac care

Ohio Valley Medical Center is 453-bed acute care hospital in Wheeling, West Virginia. The hospital is centrally located in the Upper Ohio Valley and provides tertiary care services to a patient population in excess of 150,000. The hospital provides the full array of cardiac services with the exception of open heart surgery and coronary angioplasty. The hospital must determine the need and financial viability to institute these services. The financial stability of the organization and the health care needs of the patient population depend on the continuum of cardiac care. The researcher established need through a recognized methodology. Need was well documented and financial viability was proven. Alternatives to the establishment of an open heart surgery and coronary angioplasty program at Ohio Valley Medical Center are provided. All documentation was in order with established protocols set forth by the state of West Virginia. The researcher recommended the development of the program after certificate of need approval from the state of West Virginia and provided alternative solutions if the certificate of need was not granted