A full-time cardiovascular clinic has been established at St. Thomas Community Health Center. The staff includes Drs. Paul McMullan, Tyrone Collins and Christopher White, interventional cardiologists from the Ochsner Clinic Foundation and a nurse practitioner, Barbara Terrell. Patients will be seen without regard to their ability to pay and, in addition to office examination, a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic cardiovascular procedures will be offered. Our goal is to see all referred patients within 3 days of the request for an appointment and to provide the referring physician prompt follow-up information.
 Background:
In 2007, St. Thomas CHC was the recipient of a grant from the Astra Zeneca Corporation, facilitated by Dr. Keith Ferdinand, for the expansion of cardiovascular services to our patients. This grant funds invasive cardiovascular services at the Ochsner Foundation main campus in New Orleans and Ochsner Cardiologists volunteer to work in the outpatient clinic at St. Thomas CHC. In addition, Ochsner’s St. Anne’s Hospital, in Raceland, LA, is part of the state’s Rural Health Network, enabling St. Thomas patients to be treated there by Ochsner Cardiologists without regard to their ability to pay.
 Cardiovascular procedures:
Non-invasive procedures: Non-invasive cardiovascular procedures will be performed at St. Thomas Clinic, including Holter monitoring, vascular studies, echocardiograms and stress echocardiograms. Some non-invasive studies such as CAT scans, pharmacologic stress tests and nuclear stress tests will be performed at Ochsner’s St. Anne’s Campus, in Raceland, LA.Â
Invasive Cardiovascular procedures: Invasive cardiovascular services (right and left heart catheterization, coronary and peripheral angiography and intervention, valvuloplasty and structural heart disease (ASD/PFO closure) procedures) will be offered at both Ochsner Clinic’s main campus in New Orleans and Ochsner’s St. Anne’s, Raceland campus. As with office visits and non-invasive studies, these procedures are offered without regard to a patient’s ability to pay. Drs. Grant, Collins and White will perform the invasive procedures in order to provide continuity of care for St. Thomas patients.
Transportation to and from St. Anne’s Hospital in Raceland, LA will be provided by the St. Thomas Clinic for patients and their families as needed. It is anticipated that most invasive procedures will consist of a 23-hour hospital stay, i.e. an overnight stay with next morning discharge. We will continue to respect the wishes of patients who prefer referral to MCLNO for cardiovascular procedures.
 Appointment prerequisites:
The St. Thomas Cardiology Clinic will accept referrals from clinics, hospitals and emergency rooms throughout our community. It is important that outpatient referrals be stable, allowing for follow-up appointments in an outpatient clinic setting. The clinic is not equipped to handle unstable patients who might require hospital admission or urgent intervention.