Mission Statement

As a recognized expert in cardiovascular outcomes management, the Indiana Heart Institute provides specialized consultative and data management services to its hospital, physician and business clients. Through its systematic approach to planning and quality, the Institute provides sound information to support management decisions and facilitate growth in cardiovascular market share.

History

The Indiana Heart Institute was founded in 1986 by St. Vincent Hospital, two large cardiology practices: Nasser, Smith & Pinkerton and Northside Cardiology, and the cardiothoracic and vascular surgery group of Schumaker, Isch and Jolly. The Institute is now a limited liability corporation (LLC) owned by St. Vincent Health, the Care Group (the merger of Nasser, Smith & Pinkerton and Northside Cardiology,) and the cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons surgeons of CorVasc. St. Vincent Health is a multi-hospital system reaching 45 counties in central Indiana and includes it flagship tertiary center, St.Vincent Indianapolis Hospital. The Care Group comprises 94 cardiologists, and CorVasc is composed of 32 cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons.

Initially, the Heart Institute served in an advertising and marketing capacity for its partners, negotiated and managed several global pricing contracts and provided public education, among other things. It was successful in significantly increasing the market share and renown of its partners throughout not only Indiana, but the entire nation.

Beginning in 1993, Indiana Heart assumed data management responsibilities for the entire cardiovascular service line at St. Vincent Hospital, a function it performs to this day. It is involved in concurrent data collection, ICD-9 coding and abstraction, DRG accuracy, case management, quality improvement facilitation, internal reporting (performance improvement committees, peer review, clinical outcomes, ad hoc analyses) and external reporting (American College of Cardiology, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, JCAHO, Anthem, clinical trials).

Major Functional Areas

Quality Services
The Institute provides quality services to St. Vincent Cardiology Services, The Heart Center of Indiana, and the specialists and sub-specialists involved in these areas. Cardiovascular nurses are responsible for delivering an array of services in one location that are typically scattered in several different hospital departments. Quality services are a substantial part of the Institute's focus and specifically include the following functional elements:

  • Cardiovascular Coding
  • Information Management (CQI), staffing, reports, etc.
  • Utilization review and utilization management
  • Maintenance and updating of Cardiovascular Clinical Registry
  • External Reporting (Anthem, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American College of Cardiology, Medicare, etc.)
  • Special reports/studies (internal/external; contracted/ad hoc)

As a result of these quality services, U.S. News and World Report has recognized St. Vincent as one of the "Top 50 hospitals (heart) nearly every year since 1998."

Consulting
IHI's Data Management Division works with both internal and external groups on a variety of cardiovascular issues and needs. Internally, this consultation with one or more owners has focused on business case development, scenario building, referral dynamics and gainsharing to name a few. External consultations, some national in scope, have focused on quality services, database creation and management, institute structural options, partnership, cath lab management and franchising opportunities, etc.

Marketing and Business Development:
IHI management serves as both facilitator and consultant to IHI's owners in a variety of marketing and business development areas. In addition to the traditional marketing functions, this has included internal and external business development efforts including specific activities in the following areas:

  • Research/analysis (trends, impacts, outcomes, market dynamics, clinical research opportunities, etc.)
  • Direct Marketing ("psychographic" planning, material development, distribution, event management/oversight, impact analysis)
  • Consumer/MD advertising (radio/TV/print consultation, direct-to-MD technology updates statewide)
  • Out-market focus (business case consultation, market dynamics advisories)

Communication
IHI staffs a variety of operational committees including its Operating and CQI committees, as well as ad hoc teams appointed by the board. IHI management provides all staff support to the board each month. In addition to these formal communication avenues, the management team routinely meets, as needed, with board members and other senior owner representatives to troubleshoot specific issues or needs impacting on and off-campus work.

Cardiovascular database:
The Institute's Cardiovascular Clinical Registry is a robust, hierarchical database used for a variety of prospective and retrospective projects and is HIPAA compliant. It includes over 200,000 patients admitted since the database's inception in July 1994. Some of its specific uses include, but are not limited to:

  • External Reporting - ACC, STS, Anthem
  • Internal Reporting - CQI committees, dashboards, ad hoc analyses, inventory
  • Data Sales - outside vendor sales, repository sales

Early Cardiac Care:
This 11-year old, early intervention program was developed to encourage early and prompt intervention by members of the public when someone they know might be having a heart attack. Through the use of professional health educators, many of whom are cardiac nurses, the program offers a one-hour introduction to the early warning signs of a heart attack as well as the preventive actions that should be taken with modifiable risk factors. On average, 10,000 individuals are reached yearly through approximately 400 presentations.