Advocate Heart Institute at Advocate Sherman Hospital

• We were one of the first community hospitals in the country to perform open heart surgery, in 1972.
• We consistently earn 3-star quality ratings for cardiac surgery from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons-their highest rating, achieved by only about 10% of hospitals across the country.
• We also work hard to educate our community about heart health and disease prevention, offering hundreds of free programs throughout the year.

Our reputation for excellence in cardiovascular care has earned other national recognitions and accreditations numerous times:

• Magnet recognition for nursing excellence: American Nurses Credentialing Center/American Nurses Association. Achieved by only 9 percent of hospitals nationwide
• Gold Plus Award, “Get with the Guidelines: Heart Failure,” and, Honor Roll: American Heart Association
• Platinum Performance Achievement Award: American Heart Association & American College of Cardiology. The highest level of performance for heart attack treatment
• Accredited Chest Pain Center: Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care
• Certified in Adult Echocardiography: Intersocietal Accreditation Commission
• Patient Navigator Program: American College of Cardiology. One of only 35 hospitals chosen to pilot this ground-breaking program

• Aneurysm
• Arrhythmia
• Atherosclerosis
• Carotid stenosis
• Chest pain
• Congenital heart disease
• Congestive heart failure
• Coronary artery disease
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Heart attack
• Hypertension
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Peripheral artery disease
• Stroke
• Varicose veins
• Vascular trauma

Cardiodiagnostics

• Exercise tests/stress tests
• Adult and pediatric electrocardiograms (EKG)
• Echocardiograms and stress echocardiograms*
• Continuous blood pressure and cardiac event monitoring
• Holter monitoring
• Tilt table procedures
• Vascular studies

Imaging

The Diagnostic Imaging department offers CT Angiography (CTA), a non-invasive test that helps detect blockages in the blood vessels by using a 64-slice CT scanner to take multiple X-rays from many angles. For some, CTA is an alternative to a diagnostic catheterization. Our 3D high-definition trans-esophageal echocardiogram is the only one of its kind in the area, providing clearer images and reducing the number of tests required.

Neurodiagnostics

Advocate Sherman Hospital's Neurodiagnostics Department in the Heart & Vascular Center offers multiple types of neurodiagnostic testing. These tests can help differentiate neurological conditions from other conditions with similar symptoms. Services offered include:

• EMG/NCV (nerve and muscle test)
• Routine EEG
• Ambulatory EEG ("EEG to Go"): Done on an outpatient basis (monitoring for 24, 48 or 72 hours)
• Inpatient Long-term EEG Monitoring (24, 48 or 72 hours)
• Specialized EPs/Evoked Potentials
• VEP/VER: Visual Evoked Potentials
• BAER: Auditory Evoked Potentials
• SSEP: Somatosensory Evoked Potentials

If you need a report from any of the above testing, please contact the ordering physician or the Advocate Sherman Hospital Medical Records Department, at 224-783-8713.

• Open heart surgery (Guide to Open Heart Surgery - English | Spanish)
• Minimally invasive heart valve procedures, like TAVR and TMVR
• Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation
• Congestive heart failure (CHF) care
• Coronary artery disease care
• Myocardial infarction/MI (heart attack) care
• Stroke (CVA) care
• Treatment of abnormal heart rhythms
• Anti-arrhythmia medication and monitoring
• Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (EndoAAA) repair
• Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and after-care
• Pre-procedure for cardioversion therapy
• Peripheral vascular interventions
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) treatment
• Treatment of varicose veins and spider veins
• Electrophysiology
• Lovenox® bridging therapy
• Anticoagulation Clinic