See realistic simulations of the latest heart procedures performed on virtual patients in the Medtronic 80-foot virtual cath lab that will be parked in front of St. Francis Hospital’s Emergency Department on Wednesday and Thursday, April 19 and 20. The Patrick Heart Institute of St. Francis will host open houses for the public from 5-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19, and from 4-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 20. Visitors will be able to view simulated procedures inside the mobile therapy unit, which is equipped with two surgical implant units.

The simulators offer realistic procedure training programs replicating device implant cases in the areas of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), heart rhythm disorders and other cardiology procedures. The system simulates both diagnostic and treatment challenges using virtual patients and virtual fluoroscopy with the “feel” of an actual case but without risk.

The virtual Cath Lab will also be used to train more than 250 health care professionals at St. Francis Hospital in the latest heart device therapies. St. Francis offers Columbus residents a full-service cardiac unit, complete with diagnostic testing services and treatment. It is the only local hospital that performs open heart surgery, stent procedures and CRT implant procedures.