A Biannual Publication of GRHealth
HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
SPRING 2015
SPRING 2015 HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
CHIEF’S NOTE
DEAR READERS, Spring is in full bloom in Augusta, and our heart and cardiovascular services continue to blossom as well. Consider, for instance, GRHealth’s Bloodless Medicine and Surgery Program – one of only 200 worldwide. Increasing numbers of patients are requesting bloodless procedures these days, both for religious and other reasons. This service speaks not only to the needs of these patients, but to a nationwide imperative to conserve blood. We hope you enjoy reading about our service and our overall initiatives to optimize blood management in this edition of Heart and Cardiovascular. This edition of the newsletter also includes the success story of congenital heart disease treatment in the past generation. The good news? The vast majority of Americans born with congenital heart disease now live well into adulthood. The challenge? Those patients require lifelong treatment, and the health care industry is scurrying to catch up with their needs. GRHealth goes to great lengths to recognize and meet these needs, as you’ll see in the newsletter. We are also privileged to be ranked in the top three in cardiac care among Georgia hospitals by the Partnership for Health and Accountability, an affiliate of the Georgia Hospital Association. Such a vote of confidence is both humbling and energizing, as we continually redouble our efforts to serve our patients to the utmost of our ability. Here’s to your good health. Best,
Dr. Vinayak Kamath Director, Heart & Cardiovascular Services Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery 706-721-3226 kamath@gru.edu
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IN THIS ISSUE SPRING 2015
Optimal Blood Management Pays Long-Term Dividends_____________4 Lifelong Strategy Required for Congenital Heart Disease________5
Heart & Cardiovascular is produced biannually by the
Cardiac Electrophysiology Lab: celebrating 10 years_________________6
the Georgia Regents University Division of Communica-
Benefits of Statins Far Outweigh Side Effects________________7
to Editor Christine Hurley Deriso at 706-721-2124 or
Your Heart Needs a Good Night’s Sleep__________________8
Medical College of Georgia Department of Cardiology and tions and Marketing. Please direct comments or questions cderiso@gru.edu.
Device Enables ALS Patients to Breathe Easier________________________9 GRHealth Lauded as Fit-Friendly Worksite_________________9 Chest Pain Center Reaccredited______10 Georgia Regents Medical Center Ranked in top 3_______________________10 Wilkin, Javaheri Join Faculty_________10 Heart and Cardiovascular Team______11
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grhealth.org/cardio
SPRING 2015 HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
SPRING 2015 HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
OPTIMAL BLOOD MANAGEMENT PAYS LONG-TERM DIVIDENDS
Blood is one of the body’s most precious natural resources – one that cannot be manufactured anywhere except the body – and demands the kind of conservation efforts associated with other natural resources. Blood utilization and blood costs are accelerating in the United States at a time when blood products, hospital labor, and health care dollars are in short supply. The price of a pint of blood has almost doubled over the last few years. The alarming data related to blood usage:
By Loretta Humes, RN Bloodless Medicine Charge Nurse
n In the United States alone, someone needs a blood transfusion every two seconds, and one in three people will require a transfusion in their lifetime. n Blood transfusion is the most common hospital-based procedure in the United States. n About 14 million units of blood are transfused annually; the average cost of transfusing a single unit of red blood cells is approximately $1,200.
Fast Facts
About Blood from the
n Blood donor pools are shrinking due to an aging population and stringent donor qualifications.
n Blood carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, fights infections, and helps heal wounds.
n If blood usage trends continue, the U.S. transfusion demand is projected to exceed collections by 2020.
n The human body manufactures 17 million red blood cells per second and can produce up to seven times that amount if needed. n One pint of blood can save up to three lives.
Georgia Regents Medical Center is committed to blood conservation, observing the Society for Advancement of Blood Management’s principles to serve patients’ best interests – applying evidencebased medical and surgical concepts to maintain hemoglobin concentration, optimize hemostasis, and minimize blood loss – while preserving
n More than 41,000 blood donations are needed daily in the United States. n A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year in the United States. n Blood cannot be manufactured; it can come only from generous donors.
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the blood supply and reducing costs. This requires making concerted efforts to minimize blood loss, encourage interdisciplinary blood conservation interventions, and promote patient-centered decisionmaking. Georgia Regents Medical Center is one of only 150 health care facilities nationwide and one of only 200 in the world to offer a Bloodless Medicine and Surgery Program. Dr. Vinayak Kamath, GRHealth Director of Heart and Cardiovascular Services, is one of our champion physicians in this area, employing blood-management principles in many cardiothoracic surgeries. This program not only promotes blood conservation, but serves the growing numbers of patients who want to avoid using donor blood during medical and surgical
procedures. Some wish to do so for religious reasons, others to minimize the risk of infection and virtually eliminate the risk of blood-borne illnesses. This focus on optimal blood management reflects
Lifelong Strategy Required for Congenital Heart Disease
Georgia Regents Medical Center’s commitment to patient- and family-centered care, an approach that nurtures collaborative partnerships between health care providers, patients, and families.
By Dr. Anastasios Polimenakos Director, Pediatric and Congenital Surgery
A Grateful Patient Weighs In Editor’s note: Following are excerpts from the letter of a woman whose husband recently had bloodless heart surgery at GR Medical Center. “[Dr. Vinayak Kamath] treated us with dignity and respect as he listened to our resolve as Jehovah’s Witnesses to have no blood [transplanted during the surgery]. He worked hand in hand with Loretta Humes, Coordinator of the Bloodless Medicine and Surgery Program. We are so thankful for her support in assisting us as well as the medical team so that all things went quite well with my dear husband. Just for the record, Dr. Kamath has also done previous surgeries on other friends of ours and in our circle of friends all over the world, who all speak very highly of not only him but Georgia Regents as well. Thank you again for your support and understanding where bloodless surgery is concerned.”
These principles applied in the perisurgical period enable treating physicians to have the time and tools to provide patient-centered evidenced-based patient blood management to minimize allogeneic blood transfusions. Modified from Society for the Advancement of Blood Management, 2011 (8)
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It’s a success story with a catch. The success? The astonishing improvements in saving and prolonging the lives of those born with congenital heart disease. The catch? Addressing the lifelong challenges that accompany the longevity. Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defects. Of all congenital conditions, heart defects account for the highest resource utilization among U.S. pediatric hospitalizations. In the earliest era of cardiac surgery, operations on children with congenital cardiac malformations were landmark achievements that heralded the birth of pediatric heart subspecialties. What followed was a period of remarkable evolutionary steps in understanding the circulatory physiology, abnormal morphology, and functional consequences of structural congenital heart disease. Innovative interventions have saved and prolonged lives, enhancing quality of life as well for those with congenital heart disease. The rapid progress in surgical therapy has been just one element of a broader picture that also includes less-invasive and more-informative diagnostic modalities, the emergence of pediatric cardiac critical care, and the evolution of multidisciplinary collaboration with cell biologists, pharmacologists, and other basic scientists. Congenital heart defects are now surgically corrected as soon as possible after birth, avoiding the consequences of impaired circulation. Malformations once widely considered to be uniformly fatal (hypoplastic left heart syndrome and related anomalies, for instance) are now successfully addressed. An estimated 85 percent of patients born with congenital heart disease in the United States are projected to survive into adulthood. The number of adults with congenital heart disease now exceeds the number of children with the condition. Clearly, both short-term and long-term outcomes have improved substantially and continue to improve for even the most challenging forms of congenital heart disease. It is nonetheless apparent that long-term survival may require not only multiple surgeries, but catheter-based interventions to relieve obstructions, implant devices, and treat dysrhythmias. Managing adults with congenital heart disease will require support at a national level. The success story of saving and prolonging the lives of those born with congenital heart disease requires acknowledgment of lifelong implications for the patients’ well-being. The health care system must adapt to ensure that congenital heart disease patients of all ages have access to appropriate professional expertise and care.
grhealth.org/cardio
SPRING 2015 HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
SPRING 2015 HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
Cardiac Electrophysiology Lab: celebrating 10 years By Dr. Robert Sorrentino Director, GRHealth Heart Rhythm Center
and the recruitment of Dr. Adam Berman from Duke to oversee ablation services. Dr. Will Maddox, a homegrown Augustan and Medical College of Georgia graduate, was recruited from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2012 to join the program. Today, the EP service has its own procedure suite consisting of two EP dedicated labs (one Stereotaxis-robotic and the other a biplane fluoro room) and five prep/recovery bays. We have the latest threedimensional electro-anatomic mapping and ablation tools. The EP service has its own fully dedicated support staff (below) that includes nurses,
2005 was a turning point for cardiac electrophysiology at Georgia Regents Medical Center. Prior to that, our hospital averaged 10 cases of electrophysiology a month. The EP lab was part of a “swing lab� in which the fluoroscopy C-arm pivoted between a cardiac catheterization room and the adjacent EP room. That all changed in January 2005, when GRHealth committed to an extensive revitalization of the Cardiac EP program. I was recruited from Duke University to oversee the effort. EP services rapidly expanded with the construction of a dedicated biplane EP lab
Dr. Adam Berman
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Dr. Will Maddox
technicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. We now average approximately 108 EP procedures per month, and our patients come from all over the Southeast. We offer ablation procedures for most cardiac arrhythmias, even for those patients with the sickest hearts. Our expertise also includes cardiac rhythm management device implantations, follow-up, trouble-shooting, lead extractions with laser, and expert medical management of heart rhythm disorders. Our work would not be possible without very close collaboration with our talented and experienced echocardiographers, cardiac surgeons, cardiothoracic radiologists, cardiac anesthesiologists, cardiac interventionalists, heart failure clinicians, and pediatric cardiologists. We have daily EP, pacemaker, and ICD clinics and are initiating an atrial fibrillation disease-focused clinic. New patient evaluations are generally done within one week at the CV Center. The EP service participates in multiple national and international clinical trials to maintain our cutting-edge care. GRHealth offers the most experienced EP services and support team in the region. We also support the training of students, residents, nurses, and technicians and have our own EP Fellowship training program to complement our program.
benefits of statins far outweigh side effects By Dr. Neal L. Weintraub, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine
The 2013 American College of Cardiology/ American Health Association Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol gained widespread attention and sparked controversy regarding the recommended approach to prescribing statins. The expert panel departed from the concept of treating to a specific LDL or non-HDL target, citing a lack of credible randomized clinical trial evidence. Rather, the panel recommended focusing on identifying the appropriate intensity of statin therapy (low, moderate, or high) in order to globally reduce cardiovascular disease risk in those most likely to benefit. Adherence to these guidelines is expected to increase the number of individuals eligible for statin therapy by nearly 13 million, driven largely by use in the elderly and in primary prevention patients. This comes at a time when the public is increasingly aware of the potential side effects of statins, fueled largely by anecdotal reports. In reality, side effects of statins are quite rare, and no other class of medications can match the proven efficacy of statins to prevent heart disease. Indeed, with the large body of clinical trial data and the observations of physicians treating 25 million Americans annually with statins, evidence supporting the safety of statins is overwhelming. Here are some recent highlights
“Armed with factual information regarding the side effects of statins, physicians and patients should feel confident about initiating and maintaining this uniquely beneficial class of medications.” – Dr. NEAL L. WEINTRAUB
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regarding side effects that you may wish to share with your patients: n Statins have not been proven to impair memory or cognition; a recent meta-analysis of studies in which cognitive function was formally tested showed no effect of statins in either healthy subjects or those with Alzheimer’s disease. n Muscle pains, a frequent complain of those taking statins, are just as likely to occur with placebo, and CoQ10 supplementation is of unproven benefit. Serious muscle injury (rhabdomyolysis) is very rare and usually observed with high-dose statin therapy, which prompted a Food and Drug Administration warning regarding the use of 80 mg simvastatin. Muscle symptoms are more likely to occur in patients who exercise strenuously, and statins can reduce peak aerobic capacity and blunt adaptations to exercise training. Exercise habits should thus be taken into account when considering potential side effects of statins. n Statins have been reported to worsen glycemic control and have been associated with a small risk in the development of type 2 diabetes. However, the effects appear to be minor and are far outweighed by the dramatic benefit of reducing cardiovascular events in at-risk patients. n Statins very rarely cause serious liver injury, and routine monitoring of liver enzymes in patients taking statins is not recommended. Recent evidence suggests that statins may actually be beneficial in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Experts recommend that patients who cannot tolerate high-intensity statin therapy be switched to a moderate- or low-intensity statin before converting to a different class of medication altogether. Armed with factual information regarding the side effects of statins, physicians and patients should feel confident about initiating and maintaining this uniquely beneficial class of medications.
grhealth.org/cardio
SPRING 2015 HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
SPRING 2015 HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
your heart needs a good night’s sleep
Sleep disorders affect up to 40 percent of Americans. Over the last 50 years, nightly sleep duration has decreased by 90 minutes to two hours, making self-imposed sleep restriction the most common sleep abnormality. The most common diagnosis at sleep-disorder centers is sleep apnea, which affects about 25 million adults and has important effects on the heart. Major risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea – characterized by repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep – include male gender, obesity, increasing age, snoring, and upper-airway abnormalities, while central sleep apnea is seen in heart failure or neurovascular disease. Obstructive sleep apnea can lead to sleep fragmentation, hypoxemia, hypercapnia, changes in intrathoracic pressure, and increased sympathetic tone. Recurrent hypoxemic stress induces release of inflammatory mediators leading to systemic vasoconstriction and atherogenesis. These physiologic changes increase the risk of hypertension, coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, heart failure, and stroke. Further increasing the hypertension risk of obstruc-
By Dr. Amy R. Blanchard Associate Professor of Medicine
STOP-Bang questionnaire Snoring: Do you snore loudly (louder than talking or heard through closed doors)? Tired: Do you often feel tired, fatigued, or sleepy during the day? Observed: Has anyone observed you stop breathing during your sleep? Pressure: Do you have or are you being treated for high blood pressure? BMI: > 35 kg/m2? Age: >50? Neck circumference: > 17 inches (men) or > 16 inches (women) Gender: Male?
“High risk” for OSA:
≥ 3 questions “yes”
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tive sleep disorder are hyperaldosteronism (the release of excess aldosterone) and increased vascular tone during sleep and wakefulness. Sleep apnea also carries a two- to four-fold increase in nocturnal arrhythmias. The effects of sleep apnea on the cardiovascular system can impair myocardial contractility and ultimately lead to heart failure. In randomized trials, treating obstructive sleep apnea improved myocardial systolic function in patients with heart failure. Overnight pulse oximetry, the most common screening test for obstructive sleep apnea, can measure apnea severity, heart rate, and oxygen saturation. This simple and convenient screening tool is covered by most insurers. Formal in-lab polysomnography may be reserved for patients with suspected severe apnea or with comorbidities such as heart failure or neuromuscular disease. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the mainstay of apnea treatment, functions as a pneumatic splint for the airway. Compliance can be improved with proper education, attention to mask fit, addition of heated humidity, and customization of pressure delivery modes. Treatment with CPAP improves blood pressure control in patients with resistant hypertension, though the reduction is usually modest. Treating sleep apnea also reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events to that of simple snorers. Cardiovascular patients should be screened for sleep apnea. The STOP-Bang questionnaire, left, helps determine whether further screening is warranted.
device enables als patients to breathe easier
A fit-friendly worksite Healthy initiatives include: n Publishing and promoting campus walking routes and online fitness tips n Maintaining a tobacco-free environment n Providing healthy food choices in the cafeteria n Offering employee weight loss and wellness programs
For her 67th birthday, Lettie Sue Abercrombie enjoyed a scenic mountain drive with her husband and a surprise party attended by nearly 50 family members and friends. Five days later, the Danielsville, Georgia grandmother became the second patient at Georgia Regents Medical Center to receive a NeurRx Diaphragm Pacing System, a device that could help her have a better quality of life and see a few more birthdays. Abercrombie has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, progressively impeding mobility. DPS stimulates the weakening muscles of the diaphragm to improve breathing in patients with the disease. Implanted through minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, DPS includes four electrodes for stimulating the diaphragm muscle and a fifth electrode under the skin to complete the circuit. The other components are a connector holder, a cable,
The American Heart Association has recognized GRHealth as a Gold-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite for championing employee wellness. GRHealth, which oversees clinical initiatives for Georgia Regents University, is the only medical facility in Augusta to achieve this honor. Fit-Friendly Worksites reach gold and platinum levels by implementing activities and programs that encourage physical activity, nutrition, and culture enhancements that foster healthy living. “As an organization focused on providing quality health care, we must be positive role models for our patients, families, staff, and peers,” said Susan A. Norton, Vice President for Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer. “Receiving this award not only enhances our ability to attract highly qualified staff in the face of shortages in health care professions, but, more importantly, it inspires all of us who work here to continue to value our own health and well-being.”
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and an external battery-powered pulse generator. “The pulse generator regulates movement of the diaphragm muscle, creating a vacuum-like effect in the chest cavity that draws air into the lungs. Then, when the contraction eases, the air is expelled,” said Dr. Vijay Patel, Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Medical College of Georgia and the cardiothoracic surgeon who implanted the device. “Put simply, the pacemaker provides electrical stimulation to the muscle and nerves in the diaphragm, contracting the diaphragm and conditioning those muscles to resist fatigue.” The device is programmed to allow an effective yet comfortable breath. Initially, three 30-minute sessions a day are required to condition the diaphragm muscle. As ALS progresses and breathing weakens, the conditioning time increases. “The goal is to provide patients both comfort and longevity,” said Patel.
“GRHealth is a caring employer, committed to providing the best workplace environment possible,” said Frances A. Toole, Director of Employee Health and Wellness. “We will continue to develop ways to actively engage our staff in taking care of their health, and we hope that more companies will follow our lead in promoting healthy lifestyles.” According to the American Heart Association, American employers are losing an estimated $226 billion a year because of health care expenses and health-related losses in productivity. Many American adults have sedentary jobs, which contributes to a lack of physical activity and an increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a host of other medical issues. The AHA aims to transform corporate cultures through the Fit-Friendly initiative and other wellness programs. The AHA recommends employee walking programs, as walking has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.
grhealth.org/cardio
SPRING 2015 HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
SPRING 2015 HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
Chest Pain Center Reaccredited for Heart Attack Readiness
The Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care has reaccredited the Georgia Regents Medical Center’s Chest Pain Center for another three years for its ability to assess, diagnose, and treat chest pain and other potential heart attack symptoms. Georgia Regents Medical Center was the first hospital in Augusta to become an accredited chest pain center, earning the original designation in 2009. “More than 5 million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain. That’s where our experience and preparedness come in,” said Dr. Mary Dement, Director of the center and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia. “Our emergency department and heart care teams work diligently every day to provide and enhance the timely quality care of patients in the critical minutes following a heart attack. We have saved lives and provided peace of
Georgia Regents Medical Center ranked in top 3 The Partnership for Health and Accountability, an affiliate of the Georgia Hospital Association, has ranked Georgia Regents Medical Center in the top three in cardiac care among Georgia hospitals.The ranking reflects the hospital’s successful management of blood sugar levels in heart surgery patients. PHA’s annual Quality and Safety Awards recognize Georgia health care organizations for reducing the risk of medical errors and improving patient safety and medical outcomes. “We are honored to have been chosen for another PHA award at GRHealth,”
mind to thousands of families. This reaccreditation is proof that our commitment is solid and our approach is working.” Georgia Regents Medical Center’s protocols help preserve heart muscle by expediting diagnosis and treatment of heart attacks, while ensuring that patients with chest pain who aren’t having a heart attack won’t be sent home too quickly or needlessly admitted to the hospital. Americans suffer more than 1.2 million heart attacks annually, about 460,000 of which are fatal. By working closely with the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care, emergency medicine and cardiovascular experts at Georgia Regents Medical Center hope to significantly reduce that mortality rate through education, treatment, and rehabilitation.
wilkin, javaheri join faculty
said Dr. Kevin C. Dellsperger, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. “We are always looking for ways to advance the care we provide to our patients and families.” GRHealth has standardized the management of glucose levels in surgery patients, an initiative that reduces the risk of postsurgical complications. The plan requires monitoring blood sugar frequently; providing thorough patient education; increasing communication between the operating room and the intensive care unit; and fulfilling all necessary caregiver training.
Georgia Regents University welcomes two new faculty members to our cardiology program. Dr. Sean Javaheri will join us this summer as an Associate Professor of Medicine. He will come to GRU from Tacoma, Washington, where he serves as Associate Professor of the Uniformed Services University. He earned his medical degree from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University and completed fellowships in interventional cardiology and cardiovascular medicine from Duke University Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center, respectively. He is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiology, and interventional cardiology. Javaheri is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, American College of Cardiology, and Society of Cardiac Angiography and Intervention. He has specialized training in the interventional treatment of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease. 10
Heart & CardioVASCULAR TEAM Director M. Vinayak Kamath, MD Chief, Cardiovascular Medicine Neal L. Weintraub, MD Chief, Pediatric Cardiology Zahid Amin, MD Chief, Pediatric & Congenital Cardiac Surgery Anastasios Polimenakos, MD Cardiovascular Electrophysiology Adam Berman, MD William Maddox, MD Robert Sorrentino, MD Cardiovascular Imaging (Echo, MRI, CT, and Nuclear Imaging) Preston Conger, MD Vincent Robinson, MBBS Pascha Schafer, MD Gyanendra Sharma, MD Cardiothoracic Surgery M. Vinayak Kamath MD Vijay Patel, MD
Dr. James Wilkin, a boardcertified internist and cardiologist, has joined the faculty as a Professor of Medicine. Wilkin previously directed the University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cardiology Inpatient Consult Service and the Hoxworth Cardiac Clinic. He earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University and completed internal medicine and cardiology fellowships at Letterman Army Medical Center.
Rehabilitation and Prevention Preston Conger, MD
General Cardiology Preston Conger, MD Chris Pallas, MD Mahendra Mandawat, MD Vincent Robinson, MBBS Pascha Schafer, MD Gyanendra Sharma, MD John Thornton, MD Neil L. Weintraub, MD James Wilkin, MD
Vascular Surgery Gautam Agarwal, MD, RPVI
No-hassle referrals Your time is valuable. To make an appointment for your patient, please call:
Interventional Cardiology (Coronary and Vascular) Vishal Arora, MD Sean Javaheri, DO Deepak Kapoor, MD, MBBS Paul Poommipanit, MD
Cardiology 706-721-BEAT Cardiac Surgery 706-721-3226 Pediatric Surgery 706-721-8522 Pediatric Cardiac Surgery 706-721-5621
Convenient Locations
Pediatric Cardiology Zahid Amin, MD William Lutin, MD Kenneth Murdison, MD William Strong, MD Mac Vining, MD Henry Wiles, MD
Pediatric Augusta CHOG 706-721-8522 Thomasville Archbold Hospital
Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery Anastasios Polimenakos, MD
He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a member of the American Heart Association. His research and clinical interests include adult congenital heart disease, balloon valvuloplasty, aneurysms, and cardiomyopathy. Wilkin served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1975-89.
229-228-8006
Valdosta Children’s Medical Services South Georgia Medical Center 229-245-4310 Albany Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Pediatric Specialty Clinic 229-312-5480
Adult Augusta GRMC 706-721-CARE Trinity Hospital Summerville Bldg.
706-481-7070
Washington Wills Memorial
706-678-9334
Greensboro Lake Oconee
706-453-9803
Introducing a new physician referral tool making it simple for you and your patients – grhealth.org/referral
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grhealth.org/cardio
SPRING 2015 HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
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Wrong address? Need to update your information? Tell us by email at updateinfo@gru.edu Go online to gru.edu/updateinfo Or call us at 706-721-4001
COURSE SCHEDULE Upcoming Heart and Cardiovascular Grand Rounds Surgical Amphitheater (Georgia Regents Medical Center Sydenstricker Wing, Room 4081) 7:10-8 a.m. April 24: Ellison Lecture: “Nanotechnology in the Management of Heart Disease, Cancer, and Arthritis” –Dr. Samuel A. Wickline May 22: “Obesity and the Heart: What’s New” –Dr. Amudhan Jyothidasan
Save The Date: November 7-8, 2015 “Update in Cardiovascular Disease Management for Primary Care Providers” Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center
May 29: “Searing for Fibrin-Rich Clots” –Dr. Vincent Robinson June 6: “Mind-Body-Heart: Evidence for the Role of Meditation in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease” – Dr. Robert Schneider