The Medical Center, Navicent Health (MCNH) is again leading the way in innovative heart care, becoming the first hospital in the region to perform His-bundle pacing (HBP) procedures.

Traditionally, pacemakers are implanted with a lead (wire) positioned to deliver the electrical impulses to the heart’s right ventricle to regulate a slow or irregular heart rhythm. However, MCNH’s Felix Sogade, MD is one of a growing number of physicians to use an emerging technique, in which a specialized pacemaker lead is positioned in a different location – at or near the bundle of His, utilizing the heart’s natural His-Purkinje conduction system to restore the heart’s normal rhythm. The His bundle is a collection of conduction fibers in the heart that naturally transmits electrical impulses from the atrioventricular node to the ventricles.

“There is increasing awareness that, for certain patients, pacing the heart in a manner that mimics the heart’s natural electrical conduction pattern is preferable to the older ways that we have traditionally done in the past,” said Dr. Sogade.

Dr. Sogade is currently implanting three to five pacemakers per month using HBP technique.

The pacemaker is implanted by utilizing a new delivery catheter designed specifically for His-bundle pacing, the Medtronic SelectSite^TM C304-HIS deflectable catheter system, that was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Dr. Sogade also utilizes the Medtronic SelectSecure™ MRI SureScan™ Model 3830 cardiac pacing lead, the only lead approved in the U.S. for His-bundle pacing.

“We are encouraged by the results we’ve seen in patients using His-bundle pacing. It is a promising procedure with a growing body of clinical evidence. Navicent Health continues to lead the industry in innovative care for heart patients, and we congratulate Dr. Sogade and our cardiac team for their success,” said Tom Oliver, MD, Chief Medical Officer for MCNH.

About Navicent Health
Navicent Health, the leading provider of healthcare in central and south Georgia, is committed to its mission of elevating health and wellbeing through compassionate care. Providing more than 1,000 beds and offering care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region, Navicent Health provides care for healthcare consumers’ through an academic medical center; community, pediatric and rehabilitation hospitals; urgent care centers; physician practices; diagnostic centers; home health; hospice and palliative care; and a life plan community. Navicent Health is dedicated enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally-recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. For more information, please visitwww.navicenthealth.org.

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When John Fisher went to work on July 16, just like he does every work day, he didn’t realize a new hospital would save his life just a few hours later.

As a roofer based in Dahlonega, Fisher is always careful about working at extreme heights, on dangerous slopes and in severe weather.  But, on Tuesday, July 16, the unexpected happened.  He was on a jobsite when he was stung by a wasp, which he is highly allergic to, and he immediately realized he did not have his EpiPen.

“By the time my boss drove me to the hospital, I was starting to get delirious and my airway was closing,” says Fisher.  “As we pulled up to the doors, we asked some of the people outside if the hospital was even open.”

Luckily, Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Lumpkin officially opened at 7 a.m. that day, and the staff was ready with open arms.

“When Mr. Fisher arrived, he was having significant difficulty breathing,” says Dr. Kristin Halligan, interim medical director of NGMC Lumpkin’s Emergency Department.  “Thankfully, our well-trained emergency staff was able to stabilize him quickly.”

“I am so thankful for the excellent care I received,” said Fisher. “These people, this hospital, saved my life.”

Fisher was the fourth patient treated at NGMC Lumpkin and one of 191 patients treated during the new hospital’s first week of operation.  Twelve of those patients were admitted to the inpatient unit, and another 15 patients were transferred to other facilities for care.

“Our project team and staff spent countless hours preparing to reopen emergency care in Lumpkin County,” says Kay Hall, nurse manager at NGMC Lumpkin. “To be able to save a life, and touch 190 others during the first week, proves we’re already improving the health of this community.”

NGMC Lumpkin offers an emergency department, inpatient care and supporting imaging, pharmacy, lab and other services. Complete emergency services are provided 24/7/365 by the same group of physicians that care for emergency patients at other NGMC hospitals in Gainesville, Braselton and Winder.

Get driving directions and learn more about NGMC Lumpkin at nghs.com/lumpkin, or call the hospital at 706-867-4110.

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St. Mary’s Hospital’s stroke program has received its 10^thconsecutive Gold Plus quality achievement award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, and another 2-year certification as a primary stroke center from The Joint Commission.

In addition, AHA/ASA named St. Mary’s to its Target: Stroke Honor Roll for the eighth year in a row. All three awards recognize St. Mary’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment in accordance with nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

“Since our ministry’s first Joint Commission stroke certification in 2004, St. Mary’s has continued to make tremendous progress in the fight against stroke,” said President and CEO Montez Carter. “The tools and resources provided by these programs help us track and measure our success in meeting evidence-based clinical guidelines. It’s a rigorous process that we voluntarily undertake so that we can provide our patients and communities with the best stroke care possible.”

The AHA/ASA Gold Plus Award recognizes St. Mary’s for meeting quality measurements for the rapid diagnosis of stroke and the proper use of medications and other treatments. The goal is to speed recovery and reduce the risk of death and disability. Before discharge, patients also receive education on managing their health to help prevent another stroke and get scheduled for a follow-up visit with a neurologist.

The Target: Stroke Honor Roll indicates that St. Mary’s meets AHA/ASA measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival and treatment with the clot-busting drug Alteplase. When administered within a narrow window of time after symptoms appear, Alteplase can often dissolve the blood clots that cause most strokes. Many patients recover fully or with only minor deficits.

The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval recognizes St. Mary’s for providing clinical programs across the continuum of care from prevention to post-stroke follow-up. Joint Commission surveyors performed a rigorous on-site review of St. Mary’s program, including detailed case studies, in-person observations, and interviews with physicians, staff and patients. Surveyors particularly focused on compliance with guidelines for diagnostics, medication safety, door-to-needle times, inpatient care, rehabilitation, and post-discharge care.

In addition to providing Alteplase in stroke emergencies, St. Mary’s also is the only hospital in Northeast Georgia with the ability to perform mechanical thrombectomy, provided in partnership with Neil Woodall, MD, during most weekday hours. Mechanical thrombectomy uses minimally invasive techniques to physically remove large-vessel blood clots that may be too big for Alteplase to dissolve.

“Very few hospitals outside of major urban areas have the kind of stroke care capabilities we offer at St. Mary’s,” Carter said. “Implementing and maintaining this high-level program requires continuous commitment and dedication from our Board, our leadership, our medical staff and our colleagues. We are honored to achieve these recognitions year after year.”

According to the AHA/ASA, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

Stroke symptoms appear suddenly. Fast action is required because a stroke can kill up to 2 million brain cells a minute. Call 911 as soon as symptoms appear:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking; dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

For more information about St. Mary’s, visit www.stmarysathens.org

For more information about the AHA/ASA, visit www.strokeassociation.org

For more information about the Joint Commission, visit www.jointcommission.org.

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St. Mary’s Health Care System and the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership are welcoming 11 new physician residents to the Internal Medicine Residency Program (IMRP) this summer.

The new residents will begin practicing at St. Mary’s on July 1 under the supervision of advanced resident physicians and physician faculty from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and area community-based teaching faculty.

Residents are graduates of medical school who are working toward full licensure as independent physicians. Residency is a three-year program with increasing levels of independence. It’s the final stage in their internal medicine education. At the end of the three-year program, they will sit for their Boards and then either go into practice or continue into training for a specialty.

The IMRP is accredited to host up to 34 residents. They provide supervised inpatient care at St. Mary’s Hospital on Baxter Street and outpatient care at Community Internal Medicine of Athens on Oglethorpe Avenue. In addition, third year residents spend two months in a rural healthcare setting, providing inpatient care at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital and outpatient care at TenderCare Clinic, both in Greensboro.

“The diversity of experience provided by the Internal Medicine Residency Program makes it truly unique,” said Achilia Morrow, MD, Program Director. “Our residents practice in settings ranging from critical care to a rural outpatient clinic, which gives them tremendous insights into realities and possibilities as they move forward in their careers.”

The IMRP Class of 2022 is in orientation now for their July 1 start date. They and their medical college are:

• Kajal Joshi, MD, medical degree from American University of Antigua College of Medicine
• Akhila Madala, MD, medical degree from Narayana Medical College
• Umair Majoka, MD, medical degree from American University of Antigua College of Medicine
• Maureen Onweni, MD, medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine
• Marjory Pesek, MD, medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine
• Nathaniel Rodriguez, MD, medical degree from American University of Antigua College of Medicine
• Juan Salazar Castillo, MD, medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine
• Robert Seminara, MD, medical degree from American University of Integrative Sciences School of Medicine
• Amtul Shafi, MD, medical degree from Shadan Institute of Medical Sciences
• Kevin Shapiro, MD, medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine

They are joined by Zoheb Sulaiman, DO, a preliminary year resident who will practice for a year with the IMRP before continuing his training in internal medicine. Dr. Sulaiman earned his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Suwanee, Ga., campus.

This year’s Chief Resident will be Sandeep Jalli, DO, who is completing the third year of his internal medicine residency on June 30 and will be staying with the IMRP for an additional year. The Chief Resident acts as a liaison between faculty members and residents, serves as a mentor, and helps design and create educational activities, in addition to providing patient care.

“We are proud to have these 11 physicians join our residency program. They truly impressed us with their maturity, compassion, scholarly achievements, and dedication to improving the community,” said Dr. Morrow.

Program leaders also are celebrating the success of the outgoing Class of 2019. Of the nine graduating residents and departing Chief Resident, six will remain in Georgia to practice or will continue their education at the Medical College of Georgia. Of those six, three will stay in the Athens area: Dr. Jalli as Chief Resident at St. Mary’s, Zachary Newman, MD, as a primary care physician in Lexington, and Rida Younus, MD, as a hospitalist at St. Mary’s. Two of the six will be practicing in rural settings.

“This is tremendous that two of our residents will be practicing primary care in rural Georgia where the greatest physician shortage exists,” said Shelley Nuss, MD, Campus Dean and Designated Institutional Official of the AU/UGA Medical Partnership.

The IMRP is a joint effort by the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership and St. Mary’s, the program’s Major Participating Site. The program’s goal is to address the physician shortage in Georgia. Residents are graduates of medical school who will be completing the last stage of their medical education: a three-year, hands-on program that ends in certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

“Being the site of the first medical residency program in Northeast Georgia continues to be a tremendous honor for St. Mary’s,” said Bruce Middendorf, MD, St. Mary’s Chief Medical Officer. “Residents bring new energy and enthusiasm into our clinical areas. At the same time, working with these new physicians is exciting for our medical staff. We welcome our fifth class of residents and are looking forward to working side-by-side with them over the next three years to further raise the bar for clinical excellence at St. Mary’s and across Northeast Georgia.”

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St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital has been designated as a Remote Treatment Stroke Center by the Georgia Department of Public Health Office of EMS and Trauma.

The designation recognizes Sacred Heart’s quality care for stroke patients, especially its use of telemedicine to provide state-of-the-art emergency treatment locally. Using the REACH telestroke system, doctors at Sacred Heart can consult in real time with specialists at Augusta University Medical Center to administer a powerful clot-busting drug that can stop many strokes in their tracks.

“The Department commends you and your staff for the commitment to excellence in stroke care that is being provided by your facility,” said Kathleen Toomey, MD, Georgia’s Public Health Commissioner and State Health Officer, in a letter announcing the designation. “Reducing the incidence and the impact of strokes on individuals in Georgia is exceedingly important.”

“We are honored to be designated as a Remote Treatment Stroke Center,” said Jeff English, President of St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital. “The certification process is demanding and highly detailed. I’m proud of our medical staff, hospital staff, and our partners in EMS for their commitment to providing quality care for our patients and our community.”

Stroke is the nation’s leading cause of disability and one of the leading causes of death. Georgia is the core the nation’s “stroke belt” – a swath of states from Virginia to Texas in which stroke is significantly more common than in other parts of the U.S.

In a stroke, blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted by a blood clot or torn blood vessel. Brain cells “downstream” become stressed and up to 2 million die per minute, damaging any function handled by that part of the brain. For the 80 percent of patients whose stroke is caused by a blood clot, treatment with the clot-busting drug Alteplase can stop the stroke in its tracks and even reverse some effects. But time is critical: in most cases, the drug must be given within about three hours of the onset of symptoms to be effective.

That’s why, when a patient with stroke symptoms arrives at Sacred Heart, the emergency department team goes into high gear. If initial testing shows that a stroke is likely, the physician can activate the REACH telestroke system to start a real-time virtual consultation with a stroke specialist at Augusta University Medical Center. Through REACH, the specialist can talk to the patient, physician and nurses; conduct a visual exam; view CT scans and other imagery, and review lab results.

“REACH brings the full knowledge and skill level of board-certified neurologists to Sacred Heart 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” English said.

The REACH consultation helps Sacred Heart physicians know if the stroke is being caused by a blood clot and if Alteplase is likely to be safe and effective.

“Alteplase is the most powerful front-line tool we have in the treatment of ischemic stroke, and it can actually reduce or prevent damage to the brain,” said Tyler Davison, manager of Sacred Heart’s Emergency Department. “It’s vital that it be administered correctly and only to patients who meet rigorous safety guidelines. Our association with Augusta University Medical Center and St. Mary’s allows us to do that.”

Warning signs of stroke

In a stroke, time is brain. It’s essential to call 911 as soon as symptoms appear:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking; dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

For more information about stroke, visit the American Stroke Association at www.strokeassociation.org. For information about St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital, visit www.stmaryssacredheart.org.

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Navicent Health Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline^® EMS Silver Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) the deadliest type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication. The Mission: Lifeline initiative provides tools, training and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines.

“People in our region are at increased risk for heart attack, and Navicent Health EMS is well prepared to respond to these situations. Our teams are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care for heart attack patients by utilizing the Mission Lifeline initiative. I’m pleased that our EMS teams have been recognized for their dedication to patients and achievements in the field,” said Jason Brady, Director of Navicent Health EMS.

Mission: Lifeline’s EMS recognition program recognizes emergency medical services for their efforts in improving systems of care to rapidly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify the medical center and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel. Navicent Health EMS work closely with Navicent Health hospitals – including The Medical Center in Macon, Navicent Health Baldwin in Milledgeville, and Medical Center of Peach County in Byron – to communicate with emergency center staff, ensuring the highest care is provided in the field, en route to the hospital, and as soon as the patient arrives at the medical facility.  

“EMTs and paramedics play a vital part in the system of care for those who have heart attacks,” said Tim Henry, M.D., Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Acute Coronary Syndrome Subcommittee. “Since they often are the first medical point of contact, they can save precious minutes of treatment time by activating the emergency response system that alerts hospitals to an incoming heart attack patient. We applaud Navicent Health EMS for achieving this award in following evidence-based guidelines in the treatment of people who have severe heart attacks.”

About Mission: Lifeline

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline^® program helps hospitals and emergency

medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for acute coronary syndrome patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology clinical treatment guidelines.  For more information, visit heart.org.

About Navicent Health
Navicent Health, the leading provider of healthcare in central and south Georgia, is committed to its mission of elevating health and wellbeing through compassionate care. Providing more than 1,000 beds and offering care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region, Navicent Health provides care for healthcare consumers’ through an academic medical center; community, pediatric and rehabilitation hospitals; urgent care centers; physician practices; diagnostic centers; home health; hospice and palliative care; and a life plan community. Navicent Health is dedicated enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally-recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. For more information, please visitwww.navicenthealth.org.

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Four local nonprofit organizations are keeping the safety of their visitors close to their hearts.

First Baptist Church of Franklin, Pinetucky Baptist Church in Heflin, Reliant Ministries Church in Dallas and the Refuge Ministries of West Georgia in Tallapoosa each received a free automated external defibrillator, or AED, from Tanner Heart Care.

The four organizations were among several throughout the region that submitted entries throughout March for Tanner Heart Care’s Heart Saver AED Giveaway. A committee of cardiac experts reviewed the applications and chose the organizations based on need.

Initially, the health system intended to award only two AEDs, but after receiving submissions and evaluating the needs of the organizations, two additional AEDs were purchased to further expand access to these potentially life-saving devices.

An AED is an essential tool when it comes to saving a life in an instance of sudden cardiac arrest, when a heart suddenly stops beating. Sudden cardiac arrest can occur after a heart attack, drowning, electrical shock or other potentially deadly situations. AEDs come with pads that can be applied to someone in cardiac arrest, and the device can monitor the person’s heart rhythm and administer an electric shock if necessary to get the heart back in rhythm.

Along with having an AED nearby, a key step in saving lives during instances of sudden cardiac arrest is widespread knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. In addition to the Heart Saver AED Giveaway, Tanner has also announced an upcoming series of Learning CPR is Easy sessions throughout the region. These free classes do not offer CPR certification, but they do teach the fundamental skills necessary to save a life using CPR. Participants receive a manikin and training DVD that they can take home with them, as well as instruction from emergency medical experts and the team of board-certified cardiologists at Tanner.

Representatives from the organizations that won an AED also be attended the CPR training sessions, where they received their devices.

To find a heart care specialist on staff or for details about Tanner’s accredited chest pain centers, visit TannerHeartCare.org.

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– The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners^®(IBLCE^®) and International Lactation Consultant Association^®(ILCA^®) have recognized St. Mary’s Health Care System in Athens and its Family Birth Center for excellence in lactation care.

St. Mary’s has received the IBCLC Care Award in recognition of staffing professionals who hold International Board Certified Lactation Consultant^®(IBCLC^®) certification and providing a lactation program for breastfeeding families. In addition, the facility demonstrated that it has recently completed activities that help protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.

Roberto Issler, IBCLC Chair of the Board of IBLCE, recently stated, “Agencies that are awarded the IBCLC Care Award have dedicated their efforts to promote and provide a lactation program that makes expert assistance available when the breastfeeding family needs it. This is achieved through encouraging and informing breastfeeding families about the benefits and management of breastfeeding as well as training health care professionals to assist families achieve their breastfeeding goals.”

St. Mary’s international board certified lactation consultants are Laura Crowe, Donna Jenkins and Mallary King. They work closely with families – especially mothers – before and after childbirth to help establish and maintain the breastfeeding relationship. Their services include one-on-one education and problem-solving, telephone and personal consultations, and weekly support group meetings. They also assist mothers with pumping and with the nutrition of newborns in neonatal intensive care.

International Board Certified Lactation Consultants focus on preventive care, so they are available during pregnancy to assess and provide information on how to successfully initiate breastfeeding. They continue that assistance after the baby is born by helping families overcome breastfeeding challenges, providing accurate information, and continuing to support them as their baby grows. They assist families returning to work or school, help families in more unusual situations such as breastfeeding more than one baby or nursing a sick or premature infant, and help train nursing staff to manage basic breastfeeding care.

According to Mudiwah A. Kadeshe, President of ILCA, “IBCLCs work tirelessly in all corners of the globe to help parents provide optimal nutrition to their children. We are proud to recognize some of these IBCLCs through the IBCLC Care Award, which highlights the significant contributions of IBCLCs to improving global health outcomes at the local level.”

As allied health care professionals with the leading internationally recognized certification for professional lactation services, IBCLC professionals work in hospitals and birthing centers, clinics, public health agencies, private practice, community settings, government agencies, and in research. There are currently more than 31,000 such professionals in 110 countries worldwide who are IBCLCs (www.iblce.org). The IBCLC certification program is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).  NCCA accreditation represents a mark of quality for certification programs.

In addition to finding IBCLC professionals at St. Mary’s, families can also find an IBCLC near them by visiting www.ilca.org. Follow the “Find a Lactation Consultant” link and search for an IBCLC by postal code, city and state, or country.

For more information about the IBCLC Care Award program, contact IBLCE at award@iblce.org. For more information about St. Mary’s Family Birth Center and lactation services, visit www.stmarysathens.org.

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Navicent Health invites the community to observe National Stroke Month during May by learning to recognize and react to the signs of stroke.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stroke takes the lives of approximately 140,000 American each year, or an estimated 1 in 20 deaths. It is also the leading cause of serious, long-term disability.  On average, 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year, and stroke prevalence is projected to increase by 20.5 percent by 2030.

“On average, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds, and only 38 percent of Americans are aware of all major symptoms and know to call 9-1-1 when someone is having a stroke.  Central Georgians are at an increased risk for stroke due to the prevalence of common risk factors that include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and tobacco use. At Navicent Health, our desire is to educate the public so that they minimize their risk for stroke, and also recognize a stroke when it occurs,” said Denise Goings, MSN, RN, SCRN, Stroke Coordinator for The Medical Center, Navicent Health (MCNH).  

Clinicians at Navicent Health remind the public to act FAST if they experience any of these signs or symptoms.

·         F – Facial weakness (Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?)

·         A – Arm or leg weakness (Can the person raise both arms?)

·         S – Speech difficulty (Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?)

·         T – Time to act (Seek medical attention immediately!)

MCNH, along with other American Heart Association (AHA) designated stroke centers throughout Georgia, is committed to reducing strokes impact by 20 percent by 2020.

MCNH is an eight-time recipient of AHA’s “Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus” Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes MCNH’s commitment to quality care for stroke patients, and success in implementing an exemplary standard of care for stroke patients, according to evidence-based guidelines. In addition, MCNH has also achieved AHA’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus for increasing the number of eligible ischemic stroke patients who receive tissue plasminogen activatorin in 45 minutes or less from arriving at the hospital (known as ‘door-to-needle’ time).

“The number of acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for treatment is expected to grow over the next decade due to increasing stroke incidence and a large aging population. At Navicent Health, we will continue to educate the public in order to minimize stroke’s threat, and we will continue to quickly and efficiently treat stroke patients with evidence-based protocols,” said Tom Oliver, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for MCNH.

About Navicent Health
Navicent Health, the leading provider of healthcare in central and south Georgia, is committed to its mission of elevating health and wellbeing through compassionate care. Providing more than 1,000 beds and offering care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region, Navicent Health provides care for healthcare consumers’ through an academic medical center; community, pediatric and rehabilitation hospitals; urgent care centers; physician practices; diagnostic centers; home health; hospice and palliative care; and a life plan community. Navicent Health is dedicated enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally-recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. For more information, please visitwww.navicenthealth.org.

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A pacemaker can be a lifesaver for people with dangerously slow heart rates, Now, pacemaker implantation and follow-up is available at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital in partnership with cardiologist John Layher, MD, of Oconee Heart and Vascular Center.

“This is a great day for our entire community,” said Tanya Adcock, President of Good Samaritan Hospital. “Patients can now receive life-changing pacemaker implantation and follow-up care right here, rather than having to travel an hour or more to a hospital in Athens, Atlanta or Augusta.”

“It’s extremely rare for a hospital in a rural community to be able to provide a service like this,” said Brittainy Horne, St. Mary’s Vice President of Strategy and Ambulatory Services. “We have made it possible through a partnership between St. Mary’s Medical Group and Good Samaritan Hospital. That partnership has brought Dr. Layher to Greene County full-time, and equipped the hospital and trained the staff for this major new service line.”

A pacemaker is a device that is used to treat patients with abnormally slow heart rates. Slow heart rates can cause problems that range from uncomfortable to dangerous. Symptoms include fainting, fatigue, shortness of breath, and confusion. Pacemakers are often used to help people who have heart damage from a past heart attack improve their quality of life.

An implantable pacemaker, which includes an internal computer and miniature battery, is tucked into a pouch just under the skin on the side of the chest. Tiny wires or, in some cases, “leadless” transmitters, carry information about the heart’s activity to the pacemaker and electrical signals from the pacemaker back to the heart. The unit sends electrical pulses to stimulate the heart when the heart rate becomes too slow.

The unit also records its activity and can transmit those records wirelessly so that Dr. Layher can evaluate how well the pacemaker is performing. He can then use a wireless system to adjust the pacemaker’s settings so that it continues to meet the patient’s needs as their condition changes.

“Our first case was a success that provided substantial benefit to the patient,” said Kimberly Tyler, director of nursing. “Our patient went from having a sustained heartrate of only 20-30 beats per minute to 70-80 beats per minute.”

Tyler noted that preparation and training has been intensive.

“Preliminary training involved members of our Operating Room going to St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens to shadow pacemaker cases there,” she said. “Dr. Layher played a key role in continued training as we prepared the teams in our Operating Room and Medical/Surgical Unit who would provide care during and after the procedure. Diane Bracewell, OR Nurse, served as a team lead to make sure all other staff members were comfortable with the work flow and equipment that would be utilized. A great team effort from all involved.”

Dr. Layher provides outpatient care and consultations in the Oconee Heart & Vascular Center office at 1110 Commerce Drive, Suite 108, located off Ga. 44 just a few miles from Good Samaritan Hospital. For information, please visit www.oconeeheart.com. For new patient appointments, please call 706.389.3440. As part of St. Mary’s Medical Group, OHVC accepts most major insurance plans and Medicare.

In addition to pacemaker implantation, St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital offers a wide range of cardiac services, including stress testing, nuclear medicine, echocardiography, high-speed CT imaging, EKG, Holter monitoring, inpatient cardiac consultations with Dr. Layher or, at night, via telemedicine, and evaluation and treatment of arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, heart failure and vascular heart disease. For information, please visit www.stmarysgoodsam.org.

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