Blessing Heart and Vascular Center recognized for excellence in cardiac electrophysiology

QUINCY — The Blessing Heart and Vascular Center has been awarded Electrophysiology (EP) accreditation by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for demonstrated expertise in and commitment to treating patients with abnormal heart rhythms, known as arrhythmias.

As of late January 2025, the Blessing EP lab is one of only 48 ACC-accredited facilities in the country and the only one in Illinois. Missouri has no accredited EP labs at this time.

Approximately one in 18 people has an arrhythmia. Complications depend on the type of arrhythmia from which a patient suffers, but may include stroke due to blood clot formation, heart failure and sudden death. EP labs and the teams that staff them provide a variety of treatments for arrhythmias.

“Blessing’s EP lab team has demonstrated its commitment to providing the communities it serves with excellent heart care,” Deepak L. Bhatt, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board, said in a press release. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award Blessing Health with Electrophysiology Accreditation.”

Quincy native John Hammock performed the first EP procedure at Blessing in August 2013. Thousands of patients since have received lifesaving care without leaving the area because of the availability of the Blessing EP Lab.

“This is a huge accomplishment for my team and the patients who need our care,” Hammock said. “The accreditation is the result of close collaboration with my outstanding, dedicated, and hardworking electrophysiology staff. I will be forever grateful to the EP lab manager, directors, Blessing administration and the patients who have trusted us with their care.”

Oleg Yurevich joined Hammock in 2022 as the demand for EP care grew.

“The addition of Dr. Yurevich was critical,” Hammock said. “The program was exploding in volume, and with his help I had time to focus on making the program a world-class operation. I will always be working to move the program forward.”

“I have worked in New York and Chicago,” Yurevich said. “The level of care we deliver in the Blessing EP lab is high.”

ACC accreditation is based on an on-site evaluation of an EP lab team’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have a team of caregivers that deliver improved patient outcomes, better patient education and more effective and efficient disease control.

The ACC is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health. It credentials cardiovascular professionals in over 140 countries.

To learn more about arrhythmias and the nationally accredited Blessing EP lab, go to blessinghealth.org/ep.