Chest Pain and Open Heart

The Heart Center at Swedish

"As a travelling nurse, I've been to a lot of different hospitals. Swedish has the best Chest Pain Program I've ever seen."
- Dana Ball, RN for 17 years, 6 years as a travelling nurse

Cardiovascular Services at Swedish include:

We offer these services in partnership with cardiologists from South Denver Cardiology.

With the opening of our new 64-slice PET/CT suite, Swedish is the first and only hospital in Colorado to offer this cutting-edge scan to determine your heart's health.

The Low-Risk Chest Pain Program 
In many Emergency Departments (ED), patients with unexplained chest pain are admitted for observation, monitoring and a stress test. This process typically takes 18 to 24 hours and involves an overnight stay in the hospital. At Swedish, we use a more progressive process that can be completed in just eight to nine hours and does not require you to leave the ED. This Low Risk Chest Pain Program is used only when initial assessment tests rule out that a heart attack is causing a patient's chest pain and/or other symptoms. 

Chest Pain Program
The Swedish Chest Pain Program offers care for the symptoms of discomfort in the chest that cause high anxiety for patients. These symptoms are hard to diagnose without a battery of tests. Nurse practitioners see the patients and use a holistic approach to determine if the symptoms indicate cardiac distress of any kind.

Surgery Services
In the main operating suites, Swedish can perform more complex heart procedures in a dedicated heart room. Utilizing support services that begin when a patient reports to the Emergency Department with pain, Swedish provides a Chest Pain Program through our Progressive Care Unit (PCU). PCU is a 43-bed unit specializing in in cardiac care, including heart monitoring for patients with this special need.

Open Heart Program
Swedish's Open Heart Program is one in which patients undergoing bypass and valve replacements are treated aggressively for wellness. Patients undergo comprehensive education and assessments in the Progressive Care Unit before surgery and throughout their stays. This leads to fewer days in the hospital and a better recovery overall.

Related Doctors

Cardiology Cardiovascular Surgery