Referring Physicians: Cardiology Services

The cardiology team at Rush collaborates across specialties on each patient’s care to ensure they know their options, have access to a range of treatment and achieve optimal outcomes.

Patients with complex coronary artery disease, including blockages and chronic total occlusions, require specialized care. Our cardiologists have expertise in advanced procedures, such as CHIP, to open blocked arteries and treat these conditions. They provide surgical interventions for patients who have depressed heart function or low ejection fraction. And they provide complex catheter-based and surgical interventions, including PFO/ASD and left atrial appendage closure devices, for structural and valvular heart disease and anomalies.

Rush electrophysiologists are world leaders in conduction system pacing not widely available at other hospitals, and they’re experts in ablation techniques. Our team also offers a range of advanced therapy options for complex congestive heart failure patients and patients with cardiogenic shock, including ventricular assist devices.

Our advanced diagnostic imaging services offer the full spectrum of cardiovascular imaging to assess patient risks before, during and after treatment, including MRI, sarcoid PET imaging, CT Angiography, echocardiogram and electrophysiology studies.

Who Are Ideal Candidates for Cardiology Services at Rush?

Any patient in need of heart and vascular treatment will receive unparalleled care at Rush.

Patients in need of advanced imaging of cardiac structures and coronary arteries or stress testing have access to PET perfusion, state-of-the-art CT scanners and cardiac MRIs that are often not available elsewhere.

We also offer specialized care for women through our cardio-obstetrics and microvascular disease programs. Rush's Heart Center for Women in Chicago and RUSH Copley Medical Center's Women's Heart Center in Aurora offer comprehensive treatments, prevention services and connections to local support groups.

Our general cardiology group offers specialized therapies in the following:

Cardio-oncology
Sports cardiology and evaluation for high-level athletes
Women’s cardiology, with expertise in obstetrics

Why Refer Patients Here?

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has repeatedly given our thoracic surgery team a 3-star rating for excellent patient outcomes in coronary bypass graft surgery. This is the highest rating possible, earned by the top 5% of participating centers nationwide.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reports that Rush has the highest survival rates for heart failure patients in the United States. Our electrophysiology outcomes for device implantation and ablations are also among the best in the country.
We participate in multiple cardiac registries and continue to conduct cutting-edge research in many areas of electrophysiology and cardiology clinical research.
U.S. News & World Report includes Rush University Medical Center on its Best Hospitals Honor Roll and ranks our program among the best in the nation for cardiology, heart and vascular surgery.
Vizient’s Quality and Accountability Study ranks Rush No. 2 in the country and as the only Illinois academic medical center in the top 10. Rush has been in the Vizient top five for 10 consecutive years.

What Is the Process for Referring a Patient?

To refer a patient to Rush for treatment, call our Provider Express Line at (312) 947-4725. You can also refer patients online through our provider referral form. For more information about referring patients, you can visit our Referring and Transferring Patients page.

Most referred patients will have an appointment within a week of initial contact. Patients in need of urgent care can be seen sooner.

Keeping referring physicians in the loop is part of our program. We typically send the referring physician a letter outlining the care their patient is receiving and details of further treatment plans. In some cases, our cardiology team will communicate more personally to ensure the referring physician is aware of what is going on with their patient.