SIH Launches Region’s First Pulmonary Embolism Response Team

In January 2025, SIH officially launched a groundbreaking Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT), becoming the first system in Southern Illinois to implement a rapid response protocol specifically for patients facing life-threatening pulmonary embolisms (PEs).

 

Pulmonary embolisms—blood clots that block arteries in the lungs—can be fatal if not treated quickly. While SIH Prairie Heart Institute has long provided emergent care for PE patients, the new PERT program creates a streamlined, system-wide approach that coordinates care with 10 community hospitals across the region.

 

“This is an exciting clinical advancement in cardiovascular care,” said System Director Cardiovascular and Trauma Services Garrett Burton, DNP, RN, CENP, SIH system director of trauma and cardiovascular services. “We’ve been caring for these patients already, but now we have a structured process to identify them quickly and connect them to the resources they need—whether that’s medication, observation or an interventional procedure.”

 

The protocol relies on an evidence-based algorithm integrated into Epic and available to community hospitals via external links. Once a PE is suspected, providers activate a single emergent call line, initiating coordination with an interventional cardiologist at SIH Prairie Heart Institute in Carbondale, often within minutes.

, said the program was inspired by the success of national STEMI (heart attack) models. “The whole idea of PERT was built upon that same urgency,” he said. “Our goal is to ensure every patient, regardless of where they live, has access to the best possible treatment.”

 

Since launch, the team has responded to 26 cases, with 11 patients receiving urgent interventional care. “It’s an incredible collaborative effort, not just internally at SIH but also across Southern Illinois,” Burton said.

 

SIH STAT Heart/STEMI and PE Program Coordinator Britt Kirk played a key role in building the network. “We work with hospitals in Anna, Pinckneyville, Du Quoin, Benton, Eldorado, Harrisburg, Herrin, the Marion VA and more,” she said. “The goal is getting patients to Carbondale quickly when advanced intervention is needed.”

 

In critical cases, interventional cardiologists may use catheter-directed therapy to break up or remove the clot directly.

 

“This program is about saving lives,” said Dr. Al-Dallow. “And we’re proud to bring this level of care to the communities we serve.”