EDGEWOOD, Ky. — Anyone who’s ever needed treatment for a serious medical condition has likely faced the frustration of scheduling different appointments at different locations, and trying to make them work within their schedule. 


What You Need To Know

  • St. Elizabeth Healthcare has a new Heart and Vascular Institute

  • The facility offers all of the heart and vascular services patients could need under one roof

  • Bill Rolf has been participating in St. E’s heart and vascular program for 24 years

  • -Rolf says the program is the reason he’s still alive

The biggest medical provider in Northern Kentucky is trying to take that frustration away when it comes to heart and vascular issues.

89-year-old Bill Rolf has been participating in St. Elizabeth Healthcare’s heart and vascular program for a long time.

“I had some pain in the heart, which led to a doctor’s appointment, which led to the decision, let’s do surgery. So I did the bypass in Nov. of ‘97, and from that they suggested the St. E program,” Rolf said. “When you graduated from that, you had the option: continue on in this phase two if you wish. And I took them up on that. So I’ve been here ever since, for 24 years.”

His program consists of exercising on machines like treadmills, bikes and rowing machines. The building Rolf used to come work out in was a lot smaller.

“It's like a closet, and a coliseum,” he said.

The ‘coliseum’ is St. Elizabeth’s new Heart and Vascular Institute, which opened on Nov. 8. It brings together every heart and vascular service someone could need, and all of the doctors, under one roof in Edgewood. St. Elizabeth Healthcare and St. Elizabeth Physicians are bringing more than 30 multi-specialty Heart & Vascular Institute physicians and 30 advanced practice providers from multiple office sites. The building features cardiology, cardiac electrophysiology, cardiac surgery, cardiac rehabilitation, an outpatient cath lab, the Advanced Heart Failure Management Center, the Structural Heart & Valve Center, diagnostic services, cardiovascular genetics, cardiac clinical trials, and an on-site lab.

Executive Medical Director Dr. DP Suresh said he thinks the facility will be a great benefit to the community. The concept of the facility started six years ago.

Executive Medical Director Dr. DP Suresh said he thinks the facility will be a great benefit to the community. (Spectrum News 1/Sam Knef)

“The idea is: as health care gets more and more, for lack of a better term, disorganized, and moving to different places, I think our patients start to feel that they have to go to this office to see somebody, this place to get a blood test, a third place to go and see another X-ray,” Suresh said. “So I think it’s a concept that will catch on more and more.”

Suresh has been practicing in Northern Kentucky for over 20 years. He said the response to the institute in just the first week of its opening blew him away.

“[They say,] ‘it’s wonderful Dr. Suresh. We can see now, you, all your partners. If I need any surgery I’ll see the surgeons, everybody in one place.”’

The facility was made possible with support from William J. Yung III. Yung’s $7 million donation is the largest in St. Elizabeth history, and will be used for facilities, equipment and physician recruitment. The Heart and Vascular Institute has been renamed the Florence Wormald Heart & Vascular Institute at St. Elizabeth after Yung’s mother.

Rolf now works out at the new facility three days a week, and does all his appointments there too. He jokingly said he’d move in if they’d let him.

“Every time you go to the doctor, they want work. Now you don’t have to go to another building across town. It’s here. And all the testing you have to do, heart related, stress test, EKGs, things like that, it’s right here,” Rolf said. “I attribute that I’m still standing here from this program. It certainly helps your body. It keeps you toned to where you should be. We’re not weightlifters, we’re just trying to keep up with the times.”

In addition to working on his body, Rolf said he’s built relationships with the staff and other patients.

“It’s been great. If you miss a few days, you’re going to get a phone call from somebody, what’s wrong? That helps when you’re doing something like this. Everybody in here’s got a problem,” Rolf said. “As long as I’m alive, I’ll be here. If I can get here, I’ll be here.”

Suresh said 70% of heart disease is preventable without a doctor. He recommends meditation, exercise, a healthy diet and good sleep.