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New EKG machines bring MUSC one step closer to future by Heather Murphy Public Relations Who would’ve thought that a machine could make one woman so happy.  Joni Monroe, supervisor for Electro-KardioGram (EKG) and special Cardiac Testing, is psyched about the 17 brand new Marquette 5000 EKG’s that she received a few weeks ago.    “These new machines are fabulous, they have higher resolution, vector loop capability and signal averaging,” Monroe said.   After working to get the new EKG’s for three moths, Monroe’s enthusiasm is understandable. “They are the latest in EKG technology,” she said. “Bill Spring, director of the Heart and Vascular Center and Dan Altman, Support Services, played a huge part in helping to secure these machines.”    Joni Monroe, left, demonstrates the new EKG machine to registered nurse Kandace Adams. The new EKGs join a variety of other ways to monitor the heart, including TWAVE (used to diagnose sudden death), CP testing, stress testing and Holtermonitors.    Holtermonitors are about the size of a beeper and are used to monitor a patient’s heartbeat for 24 hrs., or 100,000 heartbeats, and detect any abnormalities.    Monroe sees the procurement of the new EKG machines not only as acquiring state-of-the-art equipment, but also as a step closer to the future. “We’d like to see a core group of trained and qualified EKG technicians in the medical center. We’ve been having different professionals handle the EKGs and when you have turnover and programs like the Hospital Options Pool, you need the consistency of that core group. We want to improve patient safety and quality of care,” said Monroe.   The new EKGs are to be distributed throughout the hospital and the Institute of Psychiatry.    Monroe hopes to acquire enough machines to take the place of all existing machines, including some that are 15 years old.           Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.