Big City Medicine, Hometown Touch. Years

Transcription

1 Big City Medicine, Hometown Touch Years Celebrating 2014

2 After 25 Years, Mercy Heart Center Transforming into Mercy Heart and Vascular Institute Mason City, IA - Mercy Heart Center has recently transformed into the Mercy Heart and Vascular Institute with a broader focus on treatments for the entire cardiovascular system. This change is just the latest step in the evolution of cardiovascular care at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa that has transpired over the past 25 years. In the late 1980 s months of research were dedicated to determining the need for comprehensive heart care in North Iowa and the feasibility of offering it. At that time, most heart patients were sent to Des Moines, Mayo Clinic, and University of Iowa. After receiving the support of doctors and hospitals throughout Iowa, Mercy Heart Center was developed in 1989 to provide a fullrange of cardiac services. 2 At that time, patients had to travel up to 100 miles to receive sophisticated heart care, said Mitch Morrison, Director of the Heart Center since its inception. Our goal when we started the program was to offer heart surgery, angioplasty, and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic services to a region that was in real need of cardiac care closer to home, he said. The Cardiac Cath Lab opened in December 1988, allowing patients to have invasive and diagnostic catheterization procedures close to home for the first time. The first Coronary Artery ByPass Graph at Mercy North Iowa was performed on April 3, The program started with just one cardiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon. Mercy s new hybrid lab, with similar equipment pictured here, will be capable of both heart catheterization procedures and open heart surgeries. Construction will be completed later this year. As early as 1990, Mercy Heart Center began adding services to its program, including interventional cardiology, angioplasty, and coronary stenting. The Heart Center also began providing outreach clinics in area counties. They now see patients in ten counties outside of Cerro Gordo county. Patients can be referred by their local provider and choose to have an appointment in their local community or travel to Mason City. In 2002, Mercy Medical Center North Iowa began a Cardiology Fellowship program to train new cardiologists. In 2010, the program was expanded to include an Interventional Cardiology Fellowship. Nine cardiologists have graduated from Mercy s Cardiology Fellowship program and three have gone on to complete the Interventional Fellows in the Mercy s Cardiology Fellowship Program (left to right) Drs. Dan Brody, Christine DiEnna, Todd James, Darren Ramoutar and Richard Rattin. See 25 years, page 3

3 FROM page 2 Cardiology Fellowship. There are currently five Fellows in various stages of the three-year program. The program will expand to six Fellows in July In 2005, Mercy Heart Center expanded its cardiac program with the addition of an Electrophyisiologist. Electrophysiology services include implanting pacemakers and defibrillators or using ablation to regulate the heart s electrical system. In the last two years, the program has grown to three Electrophysiologists. In 2012, Mercy Medical Center North Iowa completed a comprehensive two-year study of the cardiovascular health trends in the North Iowa area. The study found a significantly lower treatment of vascular disease compared to state and national data. This finding indicates that there are a number of people in Northern Iowa living with vascular disease that is going undiagnosed and, consequently, untreated. Michael Sarik, DO, first Electrophysiologist to come to Mercy in Sukup Family with Dr. Samuel Congello and Dan Varnum, President/CEO (second row, far right) As a result of the study, Mercy has formed the Heart and Vascular Institute, incorporating all treatments of vascular disease including peripheral arterial disease and venous disease along with treatments for heart disease, under one umbrella. As we evaluated our heart and vascular services, we realized that offering services in a centralized department would make the referral process easier for the primary care physicians, said Paul Manternach, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for Mercy North Iowa. Now the Institute has one referral point so physicians can call one number and our team of providers will determine what type of treatment is needed. The Institute s Care Team now consists of Vascular Surgery, Cardiology and Interventional Radiology. The Mercy Heart and Vascular Institute is implementing a screening program to the entire North Iowa area to help patients and providers identify vascular disease earlier, when treatments are more effective. The program, known as the Step Up and Get Screened Program, will be available at Critical Access Hospitals and clinics within the Mercy Health Network - North Iowa. A $1 million donation from the Sukup Family Foundation will help unite the Mercy Heart and Vascular Institute s services into one area. The donation will contribute to the reconstruction of the existing two cardiac catheterization labs, the electrophysiology lab and the procedure recovery unit, and the addition of a hybrid cardiovascular suite capable of performing both catheter-based procedures and open-surgical procedures. The new cardiovascular suite will enhance Mercy-North Iowa s cardiovascular procedures that require specialized equipment and environment. The creation of a cardiovascular suite will centralize many of the cardiovascular procedures we do now. This will help us provide efficient, patient-focused care, said Samuel Congello, D.O., Interventional Cardiologist for the Institute. In addition, we will have the capability of performing invasive surgeries in the procedural hybrid suite, if medically necessary. Not having to move the patient is a great benefit. This will be one of the few true hybrid labs in the Midwest. Construction on the Cardiovascular Suite has already begun and is expected to be completed in late Over the past 25 years, the Mercy Heart Center has been recognized for many quality achievements in cardiac care, most recently the Blue Distinction Plus (+) center for cardiac care by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield an award recognizing high quality health care in addition to cost-efficient delivery of that care. The Mercy Heart and Vascular Institute is a partnership Mercy has established with interventional radiologists, vascular surgery and cardiologists to better screen, diagnose and treat individuals with vascular and coronary disease. Earlier detection of the disease will save lives and enhance the quality of life of people in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. The Mercy Health Network North Iowa is a partnership of health systems throughout northern Iowa, including; Ellsworth Municipal Hospital in Iowa Falls, Franklin General Hospital in Hampton, Hancock County Health System in Britt, Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona, Mercy Medical Center New Hampton in New Hampton, Mercy Medical Center North Iowa in Mason City, Mitchell County Regional Health Center in Osage, Palo Alto Regional Health System in Emmetsburg and Regional Health Services of Howard County in Cresco. The Mercy Heart and Vascular Institute provides outreach clinics in these locations and Charles City and Clarion. 3

4 Cardiovascular Services Available in Mason City Cardiology l Consultative l Non-invasive cardiac diagnostic evaluation and treatment l Coronary - invasive and intervention Electrophysiology l Advanced arrhythmia diagnosis and treatment, including ablation l Pacemaker/defibrillator implantation and post procedural evaluation and management Peripheral Vascular l Vascular screening program l Non-invasive diagnostic evaluation and management l Medical management, endovascular and surgical intervention Cardiac Surgery l Coronary and valvular surgical intervention 4

5 MERCY HEART AND VASCULAR INSTITUTE Medical Staff Consultative, Invasive & Non-Invasive Cardiology Frank Addo, MD Muhammad AI Sharif, DO Byron Beasley, MD Gholam Zadeii, MD Electrophysiology CardioThoracic Surgery Matthew Flemming, MD Michael Sarik, DO Brian Olshansky, MD Daniel Waters, DO lnterventional Cardiology Vascular Surgery Vascular Medicine James Reeder, DO James Tatkon-Coker, MD Jeffrey Rowe, MD Ali Mardan, PhD, MD lnterventional Radiology- Endovascular Intervention CardioVascular Intervention Ryan Holthaus, MD Bryan Navarette, MD Samuel Congello, DO 5

6 6 New Faces on the Mercy Heart and Vascular Institute Medical Staff Over the past 18 months, Mercy Medical Center North Iowa has welcomed three new specialists to the Heart and Vascular Institute: Brian Olshansky, M.D., Ali H. Mardan, M.D., and Muhammad Al Sharif, D.O. Dr. Brian Olshansky is a world-renowned Electrophysiologist who began practicing medicine at the Mercy Heart and Vascular Institute in November Dr. Olshansky s research has focused on the treatment for and mechanism of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. He has been involved in numerous clinical trials, and has published over 170 peer-reviewed manuscripts (a total of over 400 total publications, including non-peer-reviewed manuscripts, reviews, e-publications, slide series and editorials), over 210 abstracts, over 40 chapters and three books: Syncope-Mechanisms and Management (and a second edition) and Arrhythmia Essentials. He is, or has been, a member of over 20 editorial boards, reviewed regularly for three NIH study sections for over 10 years, reviews for over 65 medical journals (an Elite Reviewer for the Journal of the American College of Cardiology) and has been on several event committees. He has been a guest editor and managing editor of several journals. When he isn t treating patients at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa, he lectures at speaking engagements around the world. Dr. Ali H. Mardan came to Mercy North Iowa in August 2013 as Medical Director, Vascular Medicine. Vascular medicine is the non-invasive diagnosis and treatment of all problems involving the circulatory system outside of the heart. As part of his clinical responsibilities, he will work closely with the Mercy Advanced Wound Care Center, in the identification, treatment and long-term management of acute and chronic wound care conditions, often caused by poor circulation. Dr. Mardan is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, sub-boarded in Vascular Medicine and is board eligible in Lipidology. In addition, he is certified in Underwater Hyperbaric Medicine. Most recently Dr. Mardan was in private practice specializing in Vascular Medicine at BayCare Clinic, Green Bay WI, and also served as the Director of Vascular Laboratory at the Aurora/ BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Dr. Muhammad Al Sharif is a board-certified Cardiologist who began practicing at Mercy North Iowa in August 2013, following his graduation from the Cardiology Fellowship program at Mercy. He received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his Residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Toledo Medical Center. Al Sharif worked as a Hospitalist in hospitals in New Hampshire, Delaware and Ohio prior to joining Mercy Medical Center - North Iowa s Hospitalist staff. He joined the Mercy Cardiology Fellowship program in July Dr. Al Sharif provides Consultative, Non-Invasive and Invasive Cardiology care. All three of these specialists see patients at the Mason City Clinic. HOSPITAL DEPARTMENTS It may be surprising to know how many hospital departments are involved in caring for a Cardiovascular patient. There are some that come to mind easily, such as the Cath Lab, Cardiac Surgery, the Cardiovascular Recovery Unit and the Cardiac Step-down Unit (6West). But there are many other departments and people who touch the lives of the cardiac patients Mercy cares for: Critical Care Cardiac Rehab Emergency Department Home Care Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy Same Day Surgery Pre-Admission Testing Anesthesia Cardiovascular Diagnostics Respiratory Care Laboratory Social Work/Case Management Nutrition Services Dietitians Biomedical Engineering Environmental Services Building Services And many more And, of course, Primary Care Providers and clinic staff are big partners in caring for our patients before and after a cardiac event. Mercy thanks all colleagues and medical staff who have helped make the last 25 years of advanced cardiac care possible. We look forward to a great future. Dr. Brian Olshansky, MD Dr. Ali H. Mardan, PhD, MD Dr. Muhammad Al Sharif, DO

7 Experienced Staff Make the Mercy Heart and Vascular Institute a Top-Notch Facility It is amazing that 25 years after Mercy North Iowa launched Mercy Heart Center, now known as Mercy Heart and Vascular Institute, that some staff who helped build the center are still here. This wealth of knowledge and experience make Mercy North Iowa a top-notch place for cardiovascular care. Jean Loes and Amy Haskins were two of three nurses hired in 1989 when the Heart Center began. Jean Loes Amy Haskins Loes had Cardiovascular Recovery Unit experience from hospitals in Des Moines and Iowa City, making her an asset when Mercy began performing heart surgeries that year. She helped develop pre-operative education for patients prior to surgery and forms for patient charts with specific information needed for the post-operative recovery. Loes remembers taking part in a heart surgery simulation that began in the operating room and went all the way to the recovery area, to prepare before the first surgery was performed in Mason City. We had a great team with experienced nurses to train nurses that were new to cardiovascular surgery recovery, said Loes. I remember everyone working at keeping the mood light amongst the staff. Even though it is a very serious situation with the patient you are caring for, the staff can t handle being stressed constantly. Loes no longer works at Mercy Heart and Vascular Institute but has stayed at Mercy and is now Clinical Nurse Manager for Mercy Home Care. Haskins was a registered nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). She had previously worked in SICU at the University of Iowa Hospital. She now works as a Case Manager for Mercy North Iowa. I was and still am proud that I had the opportunity to be in on the ground level of when the Heart Sandy Cates Center opened, said Haskins. It is wonderful for patients and families to be able to be close to home when being under such a stressful time. Sandy Cates has been a Registered Nurse on the Cardiac Step- Down Unit since the first heart surgery patient was admitted and was the nurse assigned to care for him. He came in the night before surgery, Cates said. Then he spent two nights in the Cardiovascular Recovery Unit (CVRU) after the surgery and then another five nights on our unit. Ruth Meier and Toni Featherston In 1989, it was common for patients to spend seven nights in the hospital after open heart surgery. Now patients come to the hospital the morning of their surgery and spend four or five nights in the hospital, with just one of those nights in the CVRU. When patients are here that long, you really get to know them and their families, Cates said. I still remember the name of that first patient. It is very rewarding afterward, to see our patients out in public doing so well. Toni Featherston and Ruth Meier also share that feeling. They are long-time nurses in the Cardiovascular Recovery Unit - Featherston since 1994 and Meier since Patients families will see me in a restaurant and come over to say Hi and thank me for taking care of their loved one, Featherston said. It feels great to see someone who was so sick at one point to be out in public and thriving. Both admit that most of the patients they care for don t remember them, due to the sedation while in the recovery unit. But Meier recalls one patient who remembers her. Someone that I knew was scheduled for surgery when I was scheduled to work. He was already in the See STAFF, page 8 7

8 FROM page 7 Pam Beckman Diane Servantez and Vickki Kiroff Jim Koppin 8 hospital so I went to him the night before and asked if he was okay with me being there. He was, so I told him that I would be there for him when he woke up and would tell him how he was doing. When the patient woke up, Meier gently told him his surgery was over and he was doing fine. Now whenever she sees him, he tears up at the memory of her voice comforting him in that difficult and scary moment. Heart surgery is often a defining moment in a person s life, Meier said. From that point on, many people refer to other life events as something that happened before their heart surgery or after. Meier and Featherston feel honored to be able to help patients and their families through that time. Along with the joy of helping patients, both nurses find satisfaction in using their experience to train new nurses on the unit. The two have become great friends after working together for so long but now they rarely work together on a shift. They are usually scheduled with newer nurses so they can share their vast knowledge. I love training nurses, said Featherston, who estimates that the duo has helped train nurses. Featherston began her career at Mercy as a nurse aide. While in that role, she was able to work in several different departments before deciding that cardiac care was her passion. After she became an RN, she worked in the Cardiac Step-Down Unit for a few years before making the change to the CVRU. She was the Clinical Leader for the unit from and is currently working on her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree something that was on the back-burner while she worked on-call many weekends for the unit. Meier said that cardiac care has always been her interest. In addition to being an RN, she has also received her Critical Care Nurse certification. Pam Beckman, Cardiovascular Tech and LPN, is the last original member of the Cath Lab team since its inception 25 years ago. She remembers the vision of bringing advanced cardiac care to North Iowa. We provide great quality care to the people of North Iowa. I am so proud to see where we came from to all the technology we have today, said Beckman. The Cath Lab started in a trailer and now we are planning for our four new labs and recovery unit. Beckman takes pride in being part of an organization that provides so much teaching and education for tech students, nurses, cardiology fellows, and, of course, the patients. Three current members of the Cardiovascular Diagnostics team were part of the Heart Center when it started. Jim Koppin was the Manager of Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Respiratory Care. Vickki Kirchoff and DianeServantez were Registered Nurses in the Cardiac Step-Down Unit. The three have fond memories of their role in first offering advanced cardiac care. I was involved in the first open heart surgery and will always remember what a huge impact it had on the North Iowa area, Koppin said. What I remember most is the buzz of excitement that we were going to offer invasive heart procedures, Servantez said. Our unit had been a medical unit that turned into the Cardiac Step-Down Unit. The Mercy Heart and Vascular Institute has been a big success story due to the support and commitment of the staff involved from doctors to environmental services, said Kirchoff. There are numerous other individuals who have shared their commitment to cardiac care with the North Iowa community for more than twenty years. Mercy has two Perfusionists (operators of the heart-lung machine). One came to Mercy for the launch of the Heart Center in 1989 and the other came the following year. Others who have been with the program since the beginning include clinic nurses who coordinate the surgery and provide pre-operative education and a surgery tech who is in the operating room during open heart surgeries. All of these individuals, with their experience and dedication, contribute to the high quality cardiac care that Mercy and North Iowans can count on today big-city medicine with a hometown touch.