Facts From the Heart
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. About one in four deaths is due to some form of this disease. Cardiac rhythm disturbances now affect an estimated one in 18 people across the U.S., with nearly 180,000 to 450,000 people dying each year from sudden cardiac death.
Kootenai Health is committed to providing the best care possible to our patients. As our region continues to grow, we understand the importance of proactively making investments and expansions to scale up to meet the needs of our community. As part of our strategy to ensure the highest quality care and services, Kootenai Health has begun an extensive project to expand our cardiac services.
Heart Center Expansion
Currently, the Heart Center has 15 patient rooms, one cardiac catheterization lab for treating blockages in the heart, and one electrophysiology lab for treating heart rhythm disorders. In the past year, Kootenai Health served more than 3,200 patients with these facilities, but there were times when more were needed. For example, if a patient is being treated in the cardiac catheterization lab and another patient requiring these same services arrives at the Emergency Department, care teams have to find other ways to make sure both patients’ needs are met. Clearly this is not ideal.
With your help, Kootenai Health plans to add nine new patient rooms for a total of 24. It will also add a second cardiac catheterization lab and a second electrophysiology lab. These critical additions will provide the resources needed to ensure ready, rapid care is available even as our population grows.
Read more about the $4,000,000 campaign for the Heart Center Expansion here.
How You Can Help
Cardiovascular disease does not discriminate. Every day, men and women of all ages, walks of life, social position and fitness levels find themselves experiencing a cardiac event. Some of them may be your family members, friends and neighbors. Here is Charlie Nipp’s story.
This is an opportunity to consider your personal capacity to give and how your gift can be woven together with that of others like you to create a needed safety-net of care in our community.
This important work will not be possible without you. With your support, Kootenai can provide you, your
family, your friends, and all residents, greater access to premier, specialized cardiovascular care.
With your support, we can:
- Expand facilities and upgrade technology to improve patient outcomes
- Expand world-class cardiovascular services close to home
- Attract and retain top-tier physicians
The Kootenai Health Foundation team would welcome the opportunity to share more specific information on giving opportunities that align with your personal priorities. Please email [email protected], or call (208) 625-4438 to start the conversation.
Together, we can save hearts and lives.
