East Texas Systems Of Care Conference Coming Together As A Region For Patient Care

Dr. Abbas

Dr. Khan

Titus Regional Medical Center (TRMC) was honored to be a part of the East Texas Systems of Care Conference in Longview on Tuesday, June 12, 2018.  This event, organized by the American Heart Association (AHA) is used to promote education and discussion about the most current AHA guidelines.  Representatives from healthcare systems around Northeast Texas and Southern Arkansas attended in order to help foster a better healthcare system for their communities.

“We are trying to improve every aspect of patient care from the minute that patient doesn’t feel well to when they are discharged and walk out of the door and everything that happens in between.  So it is important that we get everyone at the same table, ask them to take their competitive hats off, and say what’s best for the patient,” says Katie Butterfield, Quality Systems Improvement Director for Oklahoma and Rural Texas, American Heart Association.

It is crucial that healthcare systems in rural communities provide the care most needed in their region.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both the United States and Northeast Texas.  This need led TRMC to invest in a state of the science Cardiac Catheterization lab in 2014 and is driving the health system to expand the capabilities of their Heart and Vascular program. 

Terry Scoggins, CEO, Titus Regional Medical Center states, “Studies show that the amount of damage to the heart muscle during a heart attack is partially determined by the amount of time it takes from the injury to treatment.  In the past, most patients experiencing heart attacks needed to travel 60 miles in any direction.  Investing in cardiovascular care allows us to save lives in our community.”

Titus Regional Medical Center not only attended and served on the planning committee for the conference but had the opportunity to present their best practices for stroke care and cardiac catheterization care with other rural-community health systems in the region.  Aamer Abbas, M.D. participated as an expert panelist in a discussion about the importance of heart care in a rural community.  He also highlighted a patient story from TRMC that demonstrated how the systems being built at Titus are saving lives.  Saud Khan, M.D. spoke to the conference about new stroke care protocols used to assess a stroke at the earliest point of patient contact.  These procedures are revolutionizing stroke care in our region.  TRMC continues to grow with cutting-edge practices that are improving the health of our community.