St. John’s Regional Medical Center Expands Cardiac Capabilities with Addition of the Ultra-High Resolution RHYTHMIA™ Mapping System

New technology follows a series of enhanced programs and services for local cardiac care

OXNARD, CA – (November 27, 2018) – St. John’s Regional Medical Center (SJRMC), a Dignity Health hospital, is pleased to announce that it is the first hospital, in Ventura County, to acquire the ultra-high resolution RHYTHMIA™ mapping system. This innovative mapping system was recently used by SJRMC Medical Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology Services, Ali Sovari, MD, to perform a catheter ablation. SJRMC is the only hospital, between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, offering this technique mitigating the need to travel for such a procedure.

This new mapping device provides clarity that cannot be achieved through standard- definition mapping technology. For patients with arrhythmia such as Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), who are considered suitable for catheter ablation by their physicians, the RHYTHMIA mapping system allows for faster data collection than standard mapping systems. This revolutionary tool also allows SJRMC cardiologists to tackle the most complex procedures, helping improve patient outcomes and long-term success rates.

“By providing higher resolution, RHYTHMIA is certainly opening new possibilities to map complex arrhythmias that we would not consider for mapping before,” said Dr. Sovari. “The clarity provided by RHYTHMIA allows us to locate the source of arrhythmia in the heart with the highest accuracy.”

This is just one of the many recent additions to the cardiac program at St. John’s Hospitals. St. John’s Center for Cardiovascular Health is widely recognized for cardiac excellence. In 2018, Healthgrades and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recognized St. John’s Hospitals with: America’s 100 Best Cardiac Care, 100 Best Coronary Intervention, Coronary Intervention Excellence Award, and Cardiac Care Excellence Award. St. John’s Hospitals also provides the latest in comprehensive cardiac diagnostic procedures, medical management, therapeutic interventions, cardiac rehabilitation, and screenings.

For more information on our Electrophysiology Program, please visit our Heart Health page.

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About Dignity Health - St. John’s Regional Medical Center

St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard is a recipient of the Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence (2012-2015) and is rated among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care for five consecutive years. St. John’s Regional Medical Center’s cardiac program offers effective treatment for heart disease as a STEMI Receiving Center, world-class clinical research trials, a certified primary stroke center, and recently became the first hospital in California to offer the world’s smallest leadless pacemaker for patients with bradycardia – slow heart rate. In addition, St. John’s was the first and only hospital in Ventura County to perform cryoablation, an innovative procedure to treat atrial fibrillation – a common heart rhythm disorder. St. John’s Cancer Program is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and offers a lung cancer program recognized as the only Center of Excellence in Ventura County. The 16- bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. John’s provides family centered care for newborns requiring highly specialized attention. Learn more about other classes, events and support groups at DignityHealth.org/StJohnsRegional.