CORAZON NATIONAL CONFERENCE COMES TO PITTSBURGH THIS APRIL
Strategies in Cardiovascular Services to be Highlighted by Industry Experts

Janaury 14, 2003 - Pittsburgh, PA—Corazon Consulting, a Pittsburgh-based cardiovascular consulting firm, is bringing its national conference to Pittsburgh April 23 – 24, 2003 . The conference, entitled, “The Best in the Field,” will take place at the Renaissance Hotel downtown, and will offer ideas, strategies, and solutions for becoming a market leader in cardiovascular services.

Since admissions for cardiovascular services are predicted to increase a startling 9 % over the next five years, and cardiovascular services represent up to 40 % of an acute care hospital’s net revenue, hospital leaders everywhere must take advantage of this uncertain, yet promising market situation.

As the national demand for cardiac procedures continues to grow, planning for the future of cardiovascular care will remain uppermost in the minds of hospital executives, clinicians, and program leaders. Over this two-day event, attendees will learn how to master challenges and take advantage of opportunities in order to be competitive with a first class cardiovascular service line.

Through presentations, workshops, and exhibits, attendees will gain a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities that face today’s cardiovascular programs. According to Jackie Johnson, President of Corazon, “the conference is an excellent opportunity to learn from an outstanding panel of speakers from noteworthy cardiovascular programs across the country. Our dynamic learning environment will not only provide valuable information on the latest technology and innovative program design, but also networking time with colleagues and sponsors.”

Hot industry topics to be covered include new physician partnership models, benchmarking for success, approaches to successfully brand a heart center, the benefits of using a service line management model, and details on the latest industry advances, including drug-eluting stents and angioplasty with off-site surgical support.

According to the keynote speaker, Pascal Goldschmidt, M.D., Chief of Cardiology at Duke University Medical Center , “cardiology has indeed enjoyed rapid advances in technology, clinical research, and interventional therapy, and an even more dynamic future looms on the horizon. These changes magnify the critical demand for an already limited supply of cardiologists.” During his luncheon address, Dr. Goldschmidt will discuss the frontier of cardiology and the critical steps to creating a world-class heart center in light of dynamic market forces.

Another speaker, Louis E. Samuels, M.D., Director of the Artificial Heart and Ventricular Assist Device Program at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia , a breakthrough heart surgeon on the cutting-edge of cardiovascular research and practice, says, “the advent of advanced technology in life-sustaining devices for the heart has shaken the industry and offers some providers a competitive edge.” Dr. Samuels brings hands-on expertise as one of the first surgeons in the country to implant an artificial heart and brings valuable insight into the benefits and costs of this and other promising developments in cardiac care.

There will also be a book signing session during the conference to promote a one-of-a-kind book, Getting to the Heart of It, authored by the Corazon team. This industry resource reveals how cardiovascular care units can improve patient outcomes while increasing operational efficiently and reducing cost structures. It provides health care leaders an in-depth picture of how to develop and maintain an outstanding cardiovascular program and offers guidance for undertaking the transition that hospitals must make if they are to become ‘best in class.’

Attendees are sure to return home with newfound energy and renewed enthusiasm for the possibilities ahead in the exciting cardiovascular field.

Corazon is a recognized leader in strategic cardiovascular program development, assisting clients through the full spectrum of consulting services from feasibility study and business planning through implementation of services. The Corazon team of Heart Experts has assisted healthcare leaders and physicians in tertiary centers and community hospital settings to bring specialized advice and progressive thinking in cardiovascular services to strategic planning, market assessments and financial analyses, clinical operations and new technology, Heart Centers and Heart Hospitals, physician-hospital partnering, best practice benchmarks, and staffing models and staff education for well-developed or newly established cardiovascular programs. Corazon pioneered the application of the Universal Bed in cardiovascular care delivery and brings firsthand experience with service line management as a progressive organizational means for healthcare providers. Corazon is a 2003 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Company and one of the 2004 “ Pittsburgh 100” Companies.

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