Baptist DeSoto achieves firsts for advanced heart care in DeSoto County
SOUTHAVEN, Miss., Feb. 21, 2025– Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto’s heart program has recently achieved several milestones to advance heart care and treatment in North Mississippi.
Dr. Jiang Cui with Stern Cardiovascular implanted the first-ever dual chamber leadless pacemaker system in the metro-Memphis area for patients with slow or irregular heartbeats. The AVEIR DR device is one-tenth the size of traditional pacemakers, allows continuous communication and pacing between two chambers of the heart and can be retrieved and upgraded with new technology.
“Giving North Mississippians access to the most advanced medical treatments and technology for advanced heart care is a priority for Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto,” said Brian Hogan, CEO and administrator of Baptist DeSoto. “Through technology, training and continuous improvement, our heart program rivals any in the Mid-South.”
Baptist DeSoto’s electrophysiology team recently earned accreditation from the American College of Cardiology for the lab’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who come to the EP lab. EP labs provide care for patients with arrythmias and offer treatments, such as cardiac ablation, pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians and other administrative staff to support efforts for better patient education, improved patient outcomes and more effective and efficient disease control.
Baptist DeSoto performed more than 13,500 heart-related procedures in 2024, with 795 procedures taking place in the EP lab. U.S. News & World Report named Baptist DeSoto a High Performing Hospital for 2024–2025 for congestive heart failure, heart attack and stroke.
Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto is a 339-bed hospital that offers diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation services, as well as open-heart surgery and a number of other cardiovascular services. The hospital completed a $19 million emergency department expansion and renovation project in 2018 that added 20,000 square feet to the facility. An 87,000-square-foot, $55 million physician office building opened on the hospital campus in July 2022. The hospital was recognized by Premier Inc. with the 2021 Premier QUEST Hero Award, U.S. News & World Report as a high-performing hospital in six specialties for 2024–2025, and the American Heart Association for cardiac and stroke care. For more information, please call 662-772-4000, visit desoto.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook at @baptistmemorialhospital-desoto.
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