As chief of cardiology for Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Johns County, which just opened in July, my goal is for every patient to be treated like my own family member, to feel comfortable and at ease while receiving the best heart care they need. Now that our specialized cardiology services are more accessible than ever, we look forward to serving all our new patients from Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, St. Augustine and beyond.
St. Johns County Hospital Facilities
The new hospital is 150,000 square feet and includes 56 inpatient beds, including eight intensive care beds, and an adjacent medical office building with multiple specialties. In addition to heart care, hospital services include emergency services, inpatient hospitalization, orthopedics and musculoskeletal care, general surgery, lab services and imaging. The hospital also has a catheterization lab, interventional radiology labs, an echocardiography lab, nuclear cardiology lab and an endoscopy suite. We built the hospital with expansion in mind as community needs grow and evolve.
What this means for cardiology patients is that we can perform all necessary testing and imaging to make the right diagnoses and provide the best treatment on site. For certain very specialized advanced cardiac treatments, such as structural heart procedures (including the TAVR, MITRA-CLIP and Watchman), we will refer you to our experts at another Ascension St. Vincent’s hospital — as we are all part of one team. Fortunately, we can offer most of the cardiology services patients need right here.
Specialty Cardiology Services
At Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Johns County, we have a team of cardiologists who will be happy to see you. We work with you to help prevent heart attack or stroke, and help manage high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart failure and heart rhythm problems. Our doctors specialize in caring for many heart conditions, including atrial fibrillation, aortic stenosis, congestive heart failure, peripheral artery disease (PAD) and coronary artery blockages. We are also in the process of launching a Women’s Heart Program. No matter what heart care you need, we will match you with the right specialist and tailor your care to you.
Diagnostic Technology
We are fortunate to offer a wide range of diagnostic services including echocardiograms, nuclear and treadmill stress tests, EKG, heart monitoring, cardiac catheterization tests and more.
What To Do in a Heart Emergency
Keep in mind that if you have symptoms of heart failure, which include shortness of breath, abdomen swelling and difficulty breathing, or if you are having chest pain, please call 911 and seek immediate care. Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Johns County has all the tools needed to diagnose and treat heart emergencies.
Take Control of Your Heart Health in St. Johns County
Treating every patient like family is a priority to me. I always say it's easy to find a doctor, but it's not easy to find the right doctor. Our care teams can provide you with the best heart care you need, when and where you need it. Take control of your heart health by making an appointment today.
Dr. George R. Dibu is chief of cardiology at Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Johns County. For more information on Dibu, go to healthcare.ascension.org or call 904-691-9100.
