Blessing Heart & Vascular Center registered nurses Jody Figge and Naomi Schenk and registered radiologic technologist Shannon Peters have earned the status of Registered Cardiac Electrophysiology Specialist (RCES) from Cardiovascular Credentialing International.

Electrophysiology (EP) involves the diagnosis and treatment of malfunctions in the heart’s electrical activity. The heart's electrical system produces signals that control the timing of heartbeats.

Requirements for RCES certification include two years’ of full-time work experience in diagnostic and interventional cardiac EP, with participation in a minimum of 200 EP procedures and 300 device implant procedures, and passage of a written examination.

“While Jody, Naomi and Shannon deliver this type of care every day, passage of this rigorous national certification exam required a significant investment of study time,” said Deb Heinecke, Administrative Director, Blessing Heart & Vascular Center.

Figge, Schenk and Peters completed an online module offered by a company called EP Essentials, consisting of coursework, animations, bookwork and a testing format; and a 16-week live online course called “Cardiac EP 301” through Texas-based Howard College.

“We all know that finding additional time in the day is not easy, but as team members of the region’s only EP care provider, they are keenly aware of and dedicated to their responsibility to improve the heart health of the communities Blessing serves,” Heinecke concluded.


                     Jody Figge, RN


Shannon Peters, Radiologic Technologist


                   Naomi Schenk, RN