New heart stent offered at NEA Baptist

The intervention cardiology team at NEA Baptist recently became the first hospital in Arkansas to offer patients with coronary artery disease the newest-generation Abbott XIENCE Sierra heart stent. Dr. Anthony White, cardiologist at NEA Baptist, implanted the new stent in a patient with coronary artery disease in June, according to NEA Baptist.

“NEA Baptist Cardiology appreciates our industry partners providing new and improved cardiac stents (products),” said Dr. Anthony White. “We also appreciate our cardiac team making these products available and the skill in their use. The goal is continuously improving cardiac care for our patients.”

The new stent makes easier for cardiologists to access and unblock difficult-to-reach lesions. New features include a thinner profile, increased flexibility, longer lengths, and small-diameters, according to NEA Baptist.

The stent was specifically developed by Abbott for the treatment of complex cases, including people with multiple or totally blocked vessels, which now account for up to 70% of cases.

When NEA Baptist opened its new $400 million campus in northern Jonesboro four years ago, it had 180 hospital beds. That has ballooned to 228 beds, a 27% increase after a 12-bed expansion in the hospital’s ICU unit. There is room to expand by another 72 beds, according to the hospital. There are about 2,000 employees in its overall system.

When the campus was first built, it was one of the largest private capital projects, in terms of dollars spent, in state history.