Dr. Rick Thompson To Lead CHI Health Nebraska Heart As President, CT Surgeon
Starting August 15, 2022, Rick Thompson, MD, MBA, FACS, FACC, FACCP, will take over as the new president of CHI Health Nebraska Heart in Lincoln. In this role, Dr. Thompson will oversee the 23 physicians and many nurses, providers and support staff at the hospital. In addition to his leadership role, Dr. Thompson will also continue caring for patients as a cardiothoracic surgeon, with a special interest in complex coronary revascularization, advanced surgical therapy for heart failure, and robotic lung surgery.
Dr. Thompson has been practicing in the Lincoln community for 12 years and comes to CHI Health Nebraska Heart from Bryan Heart. During this time, he has performed more than 3,000 heart surgeries and 2,000 lung surgeries. In 2013, Dr. Thompson became the first physician in Nebraska to perform a robotic lobectomy. His care has led to positive patient outcomes and quality scores, with a lifetime STS (Society of Thoracic Surgeons) CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting) mortality rate of 1.1 percent - putting him in the top 10 percent of surgeons across the country. He is looking forward to bringing his expertise and excellence to CHI Health Nebraska Heart.
“When I came to Nebraska in 2011, I recognized CHI Health Nebraska Heart as a premier hospital for cardiac surgery and cardiac care,” said Dr. Thompson. “Having the opportunity to lead this team, while also continuing to care for patients, is an honor. I’m excited to continue building on Nebraska Heart’s success. It is my goal to provide the highest quality care to cardiac and vascular patients across the region.”
CHI Health Nebraska Heart is the only dedicated cardiovascular hospital in Nebraska, providing state-of-the-art cardiac, vascular and thoracic care. Among its services, the hospital includes 63 licensed beds, three catheterization labs, three operating suites and a 24-hour walk-in chest pain center. Nebraska Heart’s cardiologists provide outreach care at more than 30 clinics throughout Nebraska and Kansas. Dr. Thompson will continue seeing patients outside of Lincoln, including clinics in Grand Island, Columbus and Hastings.