Specialty clinics offer advanced and minimally invasive treatments for heart valve disease, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, complex aortic disease plus preventive screening

  Check out the videos of the Ernst Cardiovascular Center on our YouTube page.

Beaumont Hospitals’ world renowned heart center has expanded and enhanced its services with the Oct. 18 opening of the new Ernst Cardiovascular Center at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.

Specialty clinics in the new Ernst Cardiovascular Center offer breakthrough surgeries and treatments for people with high-risk heart and vascular conditions. The center is also the new home for Beaumont’s innovative "7 tests for $70” heart and vascular screening and the “Healthy Heart Check” student heart screening program.

Max and Debra Ernst with Marc Sakwa, M.D. and wife Meryl.

The center offers expedited, multidisciplinary care. A team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, vascular surgeons, anesthesiologists and other experts evaluates a patient’s condition and recommends the best medical or surgical treatment option.

Appointments at the center can be scheduled by calling 248-898-3839, or toll-free at 888-683-7678.

“Thanks to the generosity of Max and Debra Ernst and their family, we have been able to create a beautiful center that brings together all the heart and vascular experts from Beaumont with the latest technology and research to deliver the best possible patient care and outcomes,” says Marc Sakwa, M.D., chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at Beaumont, Royal Oak. “This is a dream come true. We are very grateful to the Ernst family for their tremendous gift, which will benefit our patients and community for many years to come.”

Max and Debra Ernst of Orchard Lake and their family donated $3 million to establish the center in memory of Ellen Ernst, Max Ernst’s late first wife. They were honored at an Oct. 11 recognition event.

The 4,537 square-foot Ernst Cardiovascular Center will offer multidisciplinary clinics for heart valve disease, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, adult and student cardiovascular screening and a future complex aortic clinic (opening in 2011).

Conveniently located on the first floor of Beaumont, Royal Oak, the center includes six examination rooms, three consultation rooms with videoconferencing capabilities for long-distance consultations, and two ultrasound rooms. The center features the latest in cardiovascular imaging options, including 3-D cardiovascular ultrasound equipment.

“Our goal is to expand Beaumont’s cardiovascular innovations to patients regionally and nationally with expedited, personalized and convenient care,” says Dr. Sakwa. “We specialize in high-risk, complex cases and will serve as a referral center for physicians seeking advanced or minimally invasive treatment options for their patients.”

The center will also offer low-cost preventive screening for people at risk for heart or vascular disease. This includes Beaumont’s Heart and Vascular Screening offering seven tests for $70 (blood pressure, body mass index, blood cholesterol and diabetes evaluation; 12-lead electrocardiogram; stroke screening/carotid artery ultrasound; abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound; and peripheral artery disease screening).

In addition, Beaumont’s “Healthy Heart Check” student heart screening will be available at the center by appointment. This in-depth heart screening for high school students, especially athletes, includes a medical history, blood pressure check and an electrocardiogram, plus an echocardiogram, if needed. The screening looks for evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a serious condition that can cause sudden cardiac death in young athletes.

Up until now, the student heart screenings have only been available through community-based screening events. A portion of the Ernst gift is earmarked to support free community student heart screenings twice a year. But parents will now also have the option of scheduling their student to be screened at the Ernst Center for $25.

Beaumont cardiologists, cardiac and vascular surgeons have a long history of pioneering new heart and vascular treatments including:

• first randomized research establishing angioplasty as the best heart attack treatment
• first in the U.S. to implant an artificial heart valve through a catheter, instead of surgery
• first in Michigan to perform robotic heart surgery
• Michigan’s first center devoted exclusively to the prevention, diagnosis, and research of heart disease in women – the Ministrelli Women’s Heart Center
• first in U.S. to use advanced catheters to treat atrial fibrillation
• first to conduct randomized research using a mini-circuit heart lung machine to reduce blood loss and transfusion during heart surgery
• first randomized study comparing CT heart imaging with standard testing for chest pain diagnosis
• top Michigan site for patient enrollment in a stroke prevention trial comparing surgery with stenting for carotid artery blockages

Beaumont is listed among the 2010 “America’s Best Hospitals” for heart and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report.

Max Ernst and Dr. Sakwa introduce the Ernst Cardiovascular Center

Learn more about Beaumont's Heart & Vascular Screening - 7 Tests for $70

Hear from patient Ben Wright and his story about coronary artery disease