COVINGTON – In a transformational moment for heart care on the Northshore, the new Cardiology Center at St. Tammany Health System was officially dedicated Wednesday (March 25) during a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by health system leadership, members of the medical community and local public officials.
The 22,000-square-foot facility, located across South Tyler Street from St. Tammany Parish Hospital, represents a strategic step forward in how outpatient cardio care is delivered on the Northshore, aligning services, technology and clinical expertise in a purpose-built environment designed for maximum efficiency and minimal patient anxiety.
This centralization of cardiology procedures and diagnostics under one roof will help streamline the patient journey from diagnosis through recovery, according to St. Tammany Health System President and CEO Joan Coffman.
“Why is that so important?” Coffman said. “Because it means easier access, less stress and a more personal experience from the moment a patient arrives – and if you know us at St. Tammany Health System, you know the patient experience is a key driver of our approach to delivering world-class care close to home for our Northshore neighbors.”
Incorporating input from the care providers who will work there, every detail of the center was designed with the patient in mind, with a specific goal of providing a more accessible, less fragmented care journey. Health system leaders said the move reflects a nationwide trend toward outpatient cardiovascular care and aims to increase capacity to meet the needs of the growing Northshore community while also improving convenience and reducing stress for patients.
Scheduled to accept its first patients by the end of March, the center includes:
- Two fully equipped cardiac catheterization labs, with the ability to expand to add a third should patient volumes require it.
- Four echocardiography and vascular ultrasound rooms.
- Two noninvasive cardiology procedure rooms for stress testing, transesophageal echocardiograms and cardioversion.
- Fifteen pre- and post-procedure rooms.
The facility will open with 17 full-time employees and is expected to grow to 35 staff members when fully operational.
The inpatient cardiovascular program at St. Tammany Parish Hospital, including its four catheterization labs, will remain unchanged and separate from the new outpatient Cardiology Center.
As with the health system’s dozens of other facilities in the community, The Cardiology Center at St. Tammany Health System will feature original works of local artists – including Peggy Hesse, Mary Helen Seago and Rachelle Woodard – provided through the nonprofit St. Tammany Health Foundation’s award-winning Healing Arts Initiative.
Taken together, the center represents a meaningful step forward in meeting the region’s growing demand for cardiovascular care, delivering advanced treatment in a setting designed not only for clinical excellence, but for the comfort and confidence of every patient who walks through its doors.
The Cardiology Center at St. Tammany Health System is on the third floor of the Charles A. Frederick Medical Office Complex at 1203 S. Tyler St., which is connected to St. Tammany Parish Hospital by a pedestrian skybridge spanning Tyler Street.
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About St. Tammany Health System
The heartbeat of its community, St. Tammany Health System cares for patients and families with excellence, compassion and teamwork. It is nationally recognized for quality, safety and service excellence by CareChex, Leapfrog, Healthgrades, Hospital Compare, Women’s Choice and US News & World Report. The health system is home to 281-bed St. Tammany Parish Hospital Service District No. 1, three diagnostic centers and 12 medical clinics throughout western St. Tammany Parish. Self-supporting, not-for-profit STHS is AA- rated by Fitch and receives no tax funding. More at StTammany.health.