www.usccardiology.org

Despite significant advances in diagnosis and treatment, cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death for both men and women in the United States. Major advances in diagnosis and patient care continue to evolve. USC Cardiovascular Medicine is leading the way.

The focus of our Cardiologists is on the patient: the care for the patient, the most sophisticated diagnosis of their disease, the best possible treatment; and the research that allows USC Cardiologists to deliver the best to their patients. Our approach is to be partners with our patients and their primary physicians as we apply advancing science and complex technology to maintain their health and well-being.

The 21st century is challenging us to develop more effective ways to involve patients in decisions regarding their own health care, to develop disease-prevention and effective outpatient disease-management programs and to utilize information technology to improve the quality of our care.

Meanwhile, because many of our patients have chest pain and shortness of breath which could be symptoms of life threatening disease, such as heart attacks and arrhythmias, our cardiologists are always available to treat our patients at any time, day or night.

The physicians of the Division Cardiovascular Medicine stand ready to meet these challenges in patient care, research, and information technology.

A Chip That's Good for Your Body 
New technology and increased funding is allowing doctors to monitor their patients' health virtually through computer chips. But as technology revolutionizes the health care field, there are some kinks to be worked out. Caitlan Carroll reports. More...

Survival after Tachyarrhythmic Arrest What Are We Waiting For? 
Leslie A. Saxon, M.D.
The New England Journal of Medicine, January 3, 2008
Approximately 225,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States. It is a little-known fact that at least double that number of cardiac arrests occur in hospitalized patients. Survival after cardiac arrest due to ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation requires prompt defibrillation, regardless of the setting in which it occurs. Therefore, it is clear that timely defibrillation in the hospital is an important determinant of the quality of cardiovascular care. More... 

Hospital Cardiac Arrest Response Often Too Slow
New York Times, May 17, 2009
When patients in the hospital suddenly go into cardiac arrest, the staff often takes too long to respond, increasing the risk of brain damage and death, a new study finds. More... 

European Society of Cardiology Honors Career of USC Distinguished Professor
HSC Weekly, February 27,2009
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) will award its highest honor, the Gold Medal, to Shahbudin H. Rahimtoola, USC Distinguished Professor and George C. Griffith Professor of Cardiology, for his outstanding contribution to the development of cardiology. More...