More@Mercy - Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital - Fall 2016

@ HEART DISEASE

BY THE NUMBERS

HEART DISEASE IS THE

No 1

cause of death in the U.S.

About 750,000 PEOPLE in the U.S. have heart attacks each year.

Source: American Heart Association

SPRING FALL 2016 2016

4 steps to better heart health Twenty-four hours a day, your heart works hard for you. But what are you doing in return? To keep beating— faithfully and forcefully—your heart needs attention.

What exactly does it need?

Here are four of the most powerful ways to help protect your heart, according to Martin O’Riordan, MD, Chief of Cardiology at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital.

If you smoke, try hard to quit. “Any amount of smoking, even light smoking, damages your heart,” Dr. O’Riordan cautions. Don’t be discouraged if you’ve tried to quit before without luck. It often takes several tries to stop for good.

Move more. Aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity— such as a brisk walk—on most days ­— Continued on page 2

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IN THIS ISSUE

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EXPERTS IN HEART CARE Our two new doctors are dedicated to keeping you healthy

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RIGHT IN TIME Carmen Chambers’ heart was in lifesaving hands

A STEADY BEAT Read about the many ways Mercy helps heal hearts. Go to mercyhealth.org/heart.

What’s taking your breath away?

NEW TEST CAN PINPOINT THE CAUSE Lately, you’ve been short of breath a lot—maybe when you’re walking just a short block or even lying down. And you wonder why.

Now an innovative diagnostic test at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital can help doctors figure out the cause of your breathlessness. It’s called a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). And only a handful of hospitals in the area offer it.

“This state-ofthe-art test helps solve the mystery of unexplained shortness of breath.”

—Martin O’Riordan, MD

A more accurate diagnosis The test is a crucial one since unexplained breathlessness is more common than you might suspect.

“Many different heart and lung problems can trigger trouble breathing,” says Martin O’Riordan, MD, Chief of Cardiology at Mercy Fitzgerald. “That can make an accurate diagnosis difficult.”

CPET is a highly specialized type of exercise stress test. A standard one only evaluates your heart as you exercise—nothing else. Typically,

4 steps to better heart health ­— Continued from front page of the week. But start slow if you don’t exercise regularly. And get your doctor’s OK if you have health problems.

Make smart food choices.

Eat less fatty meat and more plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables and beans. Focus on low-fat dairy products; whole grains; and healthy fats, such as olive and canola oil. And go easy on sugary foods and drinks.

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Shed extra pounds. Even a small amount of weight loss— only 5 to 10 percent of your current weight—can help your heart if you’re overweight.

And what if you’re already living with heart disease? The cardiologists at our award-winning heart program are ready to help.

“You’ll receive the same quality of care at Mercy Fitzgerald as you would at a major academic hospital— but close to home and with a very caring touch,” Dr. O’Riordan says.

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NEED A CARDIOLOGIST? Call 1.877.GO MERCY (1.877.466.3729). Or visit mercyhealth.org/find-a-doctor.

doctors use it to find blockages in heart blood vessels.

In contrast, CPET evaluates how well your heart, lungs and muscles work—individually and together—as you peddle on a stationary bike.

With this big picture, doctors can pinpoint which system is to blame for breathlessness and a specific cause, too, such as heart failure, a leaky valve or blood clots in the lungs.

“This state-of-the-art test helps solve the mystery of unexplained shortness of breath,” Dr. O’Riordan says. And with an accurate diagnosis, you can get the effective treatment you need.

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What is an interventional cardiologist MEET OUR NEWEST DOCTOR WITH THAT TONGUE-TWISTING TITLE

Cardiothoracic surgeons take care of surgical problems that relate to the chest.

That includes the lungs, heart, chest wall and esophagus.

Give a warm welcome to our new cardiothoracic surgeon There’s a new surgeon on board at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, one with years of experience in a highly specialized field. He’s Deon Vigilance, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon.

This means he routinely performs complex and often lifesaving surgeries involving the heart and lungs. You might turn to him for: •• Bypass surgery •• Heart valve repair or replacement surgery •• Surgery for an irregular heartbeat •• Surgery to repair an aneurysm •• Surgery for lung cancer or a lung mass With Dr. Vigilance, you’re in expert, caring hands. He arrived here from Indiana University Health, a major academic healthcare system, where he was a staff surgeon.

And he’s a self-described “people person” who’s wanted to help others from an early age.

Here’s something else to know about Dr. Vigilance. Whenever possible, he performs minimally invasive surgeries. He does them using tiny incisions. That speeds

Deon Vigilance, MD

recovery, and it often helps patients heal with less pain.

“I find it so gratifying to help my patients heal as quickly as possible and return to a normal life,” he says.

What drew him to Mercy?

“I am especially interested in community outreach, which Mercy is known for,” he explains. “I am eager to be a part of that effort and to work closely with local churches and community organizations to help improve the health of all our area residents.”

SPECIAL CARE FOR HEARTS Read about the award-winning Heart program at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital. Go to mercyhealth.org/ heart.

When your heart needs help in a hurry, an interventional cardiologist may be just the person to provide that help.

We are pleased to announce that a new interventional cardiologist has joined our team. Thierry Momplaisir, MD, is the director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital.

Explore, diagnose and treat As an interventional cardiologist, Dr. Momplaisir specializes in procedures that use catheters— long, flexible tubes—to explore, diagnose and treat various heart conditions.

For example, with the aid of catheters threaded through blood vessels to the heart, he can: •• Open arteries during a heart attack •• Repair aortic aneurysms •• Perform heart valve replacements •• Repair certain heart defects “My passion is in improving access to care within the community,” Dr. Momplaisir says. “Beyond that, my goals are to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in the community and to partner with Mercy Fitzgerald to educate patients so they can be empowered to take better care of themselves.”

Thierry Momplaisir, MD

mercyhealth.org

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The right care at the right time Not once did Carmen Chambers imagine that she would spend the last days of a long-awaited vacation fighting for her life.

But this past May in Philadelphia— more than 1,000 miles away from her Florida home and everything familiar—Carmen suddenly began struggling to breathe and sweating profusely. She had chest pain too.

“It felt like an elephant was on my chest,” she recalls.

Carmen didn’t know it yet, but soon testing at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital would reveal a nearly total blockage in an artery feeding her heart.

“Fortunately, tests also showed that she hadn’t had an actual heart attack—yet,” says David Addley, DO, FACC, Cardiologist at Mercy Fitzgerald. “But she was at an

extremely high risk for one.”

Dr. Addley performed the cardiac catheterization that detected the blockage and urged her to have it treated right away.

He suspected the blockage may also have been to blame for two problems a heart ultrasound had found: a leaky heart valve and a poorly pumping heart. And both were causing fluid to build up in Carmen’s lungs—another reason for her trouble breathing.

The right decision “Here was a doctor I had never met before telling me I had serious heart problems,” says the 56-year-old

David Addley, DO, FACC

mother and grandmother. “But I felt his care and concern as soon as he came into my room. So I put my life in his hands.”

It was a good choice.

After the catheterization confirmed the severe blockage, Dr. Addley advised Carmen to undergo a balloon angioplasty. Sameer Khandhar, MD, Interventional Cardiologist at Mercy Fitzgerald, performed the minimally invasive procedure. He opened up Carmen’s artery with a balloon-tipped catheter and then inserted a tiny mesh tube— called a stent—to help keep the artery open.

The procedure went smoothly, protecting Carmen from a very likely heart attack and increasing blood flow to her weakened heart.

And it also dramatically improved her leaky heart valve, a problem that causes blood to flow the wrong way in the heart. That improvement also

GET EXPERT CARDIAC CARE When you need it, find it conveniently close to home.

Visit mercyhealth.org/ heart.

Heart attack: Know the signs, get help Heart attack symptoms can be very subtle for some people—and painfully obvious for others. It’s best to be familiar with all the possible signs of a heart attack so no matter how it might strike you, you can recognize it and get help in a hurry.

Those signs include: hest pain. This may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness or C pain. It can also feel like heartburn or indigestion. It may come and go. ain or discomfort in one or both arms; the back, shoulders, P neck or jaw; or above the belly button.

Shortness of breath, alone or with chest pain.

“I was a heart attack waiting to happen. But God works in mysterious ways. And I think He may have wanted me to be in Dr. Addley’s lifesaving hands.”

—Carmen Chambers

likely meant that her blocked artery was indeed responsible for the leaky valve, rather than an abnormality in the valve itself.

Carmen also was hospitalized with dangerously high blood pressure, which Dr. Addley successfully treated. “And getting her blood pressure down may have improved her valve’s functioning too,” he says.

A promise honored “Dr. Addley told me he’d take care of me—and that’s exactly what he did.

He checked up on me until the very day I left the hospital,” Carmen says.

That was one day after the angioplasty. And the day after that she was boarding a plane to Florida—breathing comfortably and having no more chest pain.

“Once she was on appropriate

Nausea and vomiting.

Unusual fatigue, sometimes for days before the attack.

Cold sweat.

Light-headedness or sudden dizziness.

Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack for both men and women. But women are more likely to experience symptoms such as shortness of breath; nausea; fatigue; or pain in the back, shoulders or jaw.

A heart attack is a medical emergency. Getting help right away may save your life.

“Don’t second-guess yourself,” urges David Addley, DO, FACC, Cardiologist at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital. “Call 9-1-1 if you think there’s any chance you’re having a heart attack. That way, if something goes wrong, the emergency responders are there to help you. They have everything at their fingertips to address almost any emergency.”

Time is particularly of the essence when you’re having a heart attack.

“The longer you go without treatment, the more heart muscle you lose,” Dr. Addley says.

Call 9-1-1 if you think there’s any chance you’re having a heart attack. medicine to protect her heart and a thorough reevaluation found nothing more concerning, I was comfortable sending her home to her own doctor—and happy for her too,” Dr. Addley says.

Looking back, Carmen often thinks

about her symptoms’ timing.

“They could have occurred anytime,” she says. “I was a heart attack waiting to happen. But God works in mysterious ways. And I think He may have wanted me to be in Dr. Addley’s lifesaving hands.” mercyhealth.org

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Shovel safely

Heading home with a new hip The day is almost here when you get to replace that worn-out hip with a new one. But before you pack your bags for the hospital, you need to get your house ready for your return.

“It’s important to protect your new hip after surgery,” says Deborah L. Ludwig, PT, Regional Director of Operations, Mercy Home Health. “One way to do that is to make sure it’s easy and safe to move around your house so that you do not fall.”

Here are a few steps you can take to ensure a safe, smooth homecoming: •• Install handrails in the bathtub or shower, and place a rubber mat on the tub or shower floor. Consider getting a plastic tub or shower chair.

•• Buy an elevated toilet seat that keeps your hips higher than your knees.

•• Make sure you have a firm chair with a straight back, armrests and a higherthan-average seat.

•• If possible, try to avoid stairs. “That may mean turning your living room into a bedroom for a while,” Ludwig says.

•• Remove tripping hazards, like throw

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More @ Mercy FALL 2016

rugs or electrical cords that stretch across places you walk through often.

•• Make sure traffic areas are wide enough for you to get through using crutches or a walker.

After you return home While in the hospital or rehab, you’ll learn basic moves—such as getting in and out of a chair or bed, walking, and dressing yourself.

“Still, you will need someone to stay with you for one or two weeks after you get home,” Ludwig says.

Let that person shop, cook and clean for you. After a few days at home, you may be able to help with simple chores.

But don’t overdo it.

Here are a few other important don’ts: •• Don’t cross your legs or ankles when you’re sitting, standing or lying down.

•• Don’t bend more than 90 degrees at the waist.

•• Don’t lean forward as you sit down or while sitting.

•• Don’t try to pick up something from the floor while you’re sitting.

WE CAN HELP Learn about the high-quality care that the Mercy Home Health team provides. Call 1.888.690.2551 or visit mercyhomehealth.org.

Snow: It’s pretty to look at, but it can be a pain— literally—to shovel.

Every year thousands of people get hurt shoveling snow. Don’t be one of them.

Deborah L. Ludwig, PT, Regional Director of Operations, Mercy Home Health, has these tips for safely shoveling snow: •• If you have any health problems—such as heart disease or high blood pressure—talk to your doctor before the first flake falls to see if you’re fit enough to shovel.

•• Remove snow early and often. Freshly fallen snow is easier to clear away. Moving heavy, packed snow can tax your body.

•• Dress right for the job, from head to toe. That includes a hat, gloves or mittens, warm socks, and shoes or boots with slip-resistant soles.

•• Take your time removing snow, and take frequent breaks.

•• Push the snow instead of lifting it.

•• If you must lift, squat with your legs apart.

Bend your knees, not your waist. And lift with your legs.

•• Never throw snow over your shoulder. It twists your back.

•• If you feel out of breath, stop. If you have pain in your chest, call 9-1-1.

5 tips for living well with COPD There’s no getting around it.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious illness.

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t live well with it,” says Donna Raziano, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Mercy Home Health. “In fact, there are many ways to manage your symptoms and slow the progress of COPD.” Here are five key steps: If you’re still smoking, quit.

Quitting is the best thing you can do to prevent more damage to your lungs. And since quitting isn’t easy, line up support. Talk with your doctor about products and programs that can help you stop your smoking habit. And ask friends and family to encourage your efforts to quit.

Stay away from lung irritants. Try to avoid things that might irritate your lungs, like dust, strong fumes and other people’s cigarette smoke. If possible, stay indoors—with the windows shut—when there’s a lot of pollution outside.

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Conserve your energy. Move slowly to avoid breathlessness, and sit down as much as possible when doing tasks. Also arrange your house so that most things you use are at waist level or within easy reach.

Protect yourself with vaccinations. Be sure to get a yearly flu shot. It’s your best defense against the flu, which can make your COPD symptoms worse. Also ask your doctor if you should get a pneumonia vaccine.

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Speak up about all medicines Here’s something y ou need to do if you take prescription medicine— and it might surprise you: Tell your doctor about every over-the-counter (OTC) drug you take.

No exceptions.

OTC medicines might seem totally safe. After all, you can use them without a doctor’s OK. “But they can interact with your prescription medicine,” says John Truitt, Safety Compliance Officer, Mercy Home Health. “And they can change how your medicine works.”

These drug interactions can be dangerous. They may make your prescription medicine less effective—or keep it from working at all. In some cases, they might even cause severe side effects, such as a lot of bleeding or

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See your doctor regularly.

And be honest about your symptoms, including how well you’re breathing. If any symptoms are getting worse—or if you’re having new ones—let your doctor know right away.

GIVE US A CALL Interested in how Mercy Home Health can help you or a loved one? Call 1.888.690.2551.

a big drop in blood pressure.

So keep your doctor up-to-date on your OTC medicine, especially if he or she is prescribing a new drug.

And follow these tips too: Be complete. Tell your doctor about any vitamins or supplements you take. They can also interact with your prescription medicine, in addition to other OTC drugs.

Check first. Before you take a new OTC drug, ask your doctor if it’s safe to use with any medicine or supplements you take.

Always read labels. That goes for both OTC and prescription drugs. And look specifically for any warnings about drug interactions. mercyhealth.org

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Watching over you MONITORING PROGRAM HELPS PATIENTS STAY HEALTHY

AND

Did you know that Mercy Home Health has a program that can send your vital signs—from the comfort of your home—directly to a nurse? The Telehealth Monitoring program makes sure someone is looking out for your care seven days a week.

“This is a service that comes at no charge for certain patients with Mercy Home Health,” says Peg Conway, RN, Telehealth Manager and a nurse for over 30 years.

So how does the program work, and who can take advantage of it?

Peg answers questions about this important service.

What is the Telehealth Q Monitoring program?

Answer People with diseases such as heart failure and certain other chronic conditions check their vital signs and weight every day at home. Easy-to-use equipment like a blood pressure cuff and digital scale record the information and transmit it through a device called a telestation over a phone to a Mercy Home Health nurse. The nurse can see the information on a screen, check for any possible problems and respond accordingly.

Peg Conway, RN

How can this service help patients?

Answer It helps keep people from being readmitted to the hospital by catching health problems, like blood pressure that is too high, early. It also teaches patients how to manage their health better. They learn more about their symptoms and medications.

How does someone enroll in Q the program?

Answer Certain high-risk patients are identified by Mercy Home Health personnel to receive the service. The best way to learn more is to talk to your Mercy healthcare provider.

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VIEW OUR VIDEO Watch and learn about the Mercy Telehealth Monitoring program at mercyhomehealth.org/ telehealth.

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