The Cardiac Center at Overlake

For more than 20 years, Overlake has been committed to building the most comprehensive program for cardiovascular and peripheral vascular care on the Eastside with services ranging from prevention to open heart surgery. Upon diagnosis, your cardiologist coordinates the heart team activities to provide you with the best in current treatment: medication, catheterization or surgery, to get you back to your life.

What makes your heart skip a beat? Can an aspirin a day help prevent heart attacks? Why is too much salt bad for you?

Visit The Overlake Cardiac blog to learn more about cardiac issues and get answers to your heart-related questions.

Today, the hospital’s heart care team includes a network of cardiac specialists whose collective expertise and training have helped Overlake develop an award-winning cardiac center of excellence. Overlake is a recognized quality cardiac center by Blue Cross (Premera and Regence), Aetna and United HealthCare. In 2006, Overlake ranked as one of the nation’s Top 100 Hospitals for Cardiovascular Care by Thomson, and in both 2007 and 2009, Overlake was named a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care^SM by Premera Blue Cross.

Comprehensive: An extensive program ranging from diagnostic and non-invasive procedures to open heart surgery. Overlake has been performing heart surgery since 1987, and is the only Eastside hospital licensed to do so.

High quality: Along with our distinctions from Thomson and Premera, we have excellent outcomes compiled in benchmark databases such as the Society of Thoracic Surgery, the American College of Cardiology, the National Quality Forum and the Center for Disease Control NNIS program.

Integrated: A seamless system of care that includes a dedicated interventional inpatient unit, critical care areas with a multidisciplinary patient care rounding model and a progressive cardiac care unit.

Expeditious: With a capacity for immediate action, Overlake responds to surgical emergencies with excellent rates of timeliness for emergent PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention). Our door-to-balloon outcomes are better than national benchmarks.

Robust: The cardiac team is an alliance of cardiologists, electrophysiologists, cardiac surgeons, specialty-trained Critical Care nurses and dedicated cardiac anesthesiologists.

Research: We partner with The Hope Heart Institute, a nonprofit cardiovascular research institution specializing in clinical studies, basic research and transitional medicine. Through this affiliation, our patients may be eligible to participate in clinical trials for new medications and devices.

With a wide array of treatment options, world-class cardiac surgeons and a nationally recognized cardiac program, Overlake can help you maintain a healthy heart or treat a condition and quickly put you on the road to recovery.

Cardiac services include:


	Frank Shaver hip replacement patient An avid skier, Frank Shaver's active lifestyle caught up with him. The retired member of the National Ski Patrol hit the slopes at the start of a recent ski season, only to experience terrible pain in his left leg. X-rays showed the cartilage in his left hip was gone. Frank’s Overlake physician recommended a left hip replacement. When he developed similar symptoms in his right leg a few ski seasons later, Frank underwent a second replacement surgery—this time for his right hip. Today, Frank's legs are even stronger and he’s able to ski as well as ever.


	Katharine Warmerdam weight loss surgery patient Katharine was injured and bedridden for six months as a result of a devastating car crash. After undergoing many surgeries to repair her crushed feet, Katharine was told by her doctor that if she didn’t have weight loss surgery and shed her excess weight, she would spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Katharine had the surgery and lost 254 pounds in two years. She no longer has high blood pressure or pre-diabetes. She’s learned to eat healthier and become more active while gaining a new lease on life.


	George Anderson cancer survivor When George Anderson experienced persistent abdominal discomfort, he suspected something was wrong. He was right. A colonoscopy showed he had stage IIIB rectal cancer and needed surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Overlake's interdisciplinary cancer treatment team developed a treatment plan specific to George's condition. Today he is cancer free, enjoys spending time with his wife and grandchildren and continues to live his life to the fullest.


	John Keffer cardiac patient Redmond Fire Captain John Keffer had transferred hundreds of patients to Overlake’s Emergency Department (ED), so when paramedics rushed him to the same ED to for an irregular heartbeat, he appreciated getting immediate access to top-notch treatment. A congenital heart defect had damaged a portion of John’s aorta, causing the irregular heartbeat. During open-heart surgery, Overlake’s expert team of physicians successfully replaced the damaged blood vessel. Today, John is fully recovered.