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10 11 “I felt uncomfortable over the weekend,” says Jim Herman. “Finally, I started to feel so bad, I asked my wife to take me to the Hamilton Medical Center Emergency Department. Jim had always been physically fit. He has run seven triathlons, won nine gold medals in swimming in the Senior Olympics, and has run 10 miles a day for 38 years. However, five years ago, he had to have bypass heart surgery. Having had heart problems before, he knew the importance of receiving care quickly. Jim arrived at the Emergency Department and Hamilton’s Chest Pain Center emergency medicine physicians and medical staff quickly evaluated Jim’s condition by performing tests on his heart. Given Jim’s history of cardiac surgery and chest pain, he was kept at Hamilton for observation and further testing. During the cardiac stress test, Jim began to feel dizzy and then he lost consciousness. A code blue was called and emergency medical staff, including Jim’s cardiologist, Stephen Rohn, MD, of Hamilton Cardiology Associates, rushed to assist. CPR and defibrillation was administered. (Defibrillation delivers a dose of electric current to the heart in an effort to restart proper rhythm.) Jim’s heart rhythm was restored and he was quickly taken to Hamilton’s state-of-theart cardiac catheterization suite. In the catheterization suite, Eric Guerra, MD, an interventional cardiologist with Hamilton Cardiology Associates who was also on-site, inserted a ventricular assist device called an Impella, into Jim’s heart. The Impella is one of the many advanced, life-saving tools available to the cardiologists at Hamilton Medical Center. This device, which is sometimes referred to as a “little heart,” works by pumping oxygen rich blood from the heart out to the rest of the body when a patient’s heart is failing. This device helped sustain blood flow to Jim’s body, giving Dr. Guerra time to complete a heart catheterization. During this procedure, Dr. Guerra inserted a balloon into the blocked area and then expanded the balloon to restore blood flow to Jim’s heart. A stent was then placed into the expanded area to keep the blockage from recurring. Dr. Guerra was able to restore near normal blood flow back to Jim’s heart within minutes. “I was so well cared for at Hamilton,” says Jim. “Everything and everyone that was needed to save my life was there right when I needed them. There’s no need to go elsewhere, everyone at Hamilton cares so much.” After a six-week recovery, Jim enrolled in Hamilton’s Cardiac Rehabilitation program as recommended by Dr. Rohn. Jim completed cardiac rehabilitation and is now back to his normal routine. In fact, he is in the process of forming a ministry that will serve retired, homebound educators through in-home visits, pastoral care, and music. Jim is well-known for his singing and guitar playing. “My family has been blessed by Hamilton Medical Center,” says Jim. “Hamilton’s chaplain, Ken Waddell, comforted my wife and children when I was in the hospital. So many Hamilton associates supported me and my family, both spiritually and physically during this time. They saved my life.” Hamilton Medical Center’s cardiology department features on-staff, board certified cardiologists and interventional cardiologists as well as some of the most advanced technology available to diagnose and treat heart conditions. Hamilton is ranked number one in the market (which includes Northwest Georgia and Chattanooga) in medical excellence in Cardiac Care (also top 10% in the state), Heart Failure Treatment, Interventional Coronary Care, Overall Hospital Care, and several other categories. Hamilton is also ranked in the top 10% in the nation in patient safety for Overall Hospital Care, Overall Medical Care, Overall Surgical Care, Heart Failure Treatment, and more. Hamilton is accredited by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care as a Cycle V Chest Pain Center with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The following services are available on site: • Angioplasty • Cardiac catheterization • Radial artery catheterization • Percutaneous cardiac interventions (cardiac stenting) • Ablation • Pacemaker implantation • Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) • Electrophysiology studies • Cardiac stress testing • Cardiac CT testing • Genetic testing • Echocardiography • Transesophageal echocardiography • EKG testing Hamilton Medical Center encourages many who have heart disease to enroll in cardiac rehabilitation. Hamilton’s medically supervised program is designed to help heart disease patients return to a full and productive life. The program includes monitored exercises, educational sessions, dietary consults, and behavioral change interventions. Jim Herman, Heart Disease Survivor “I was so well cared for at Hamilton Medical Center. Everything and everyone that was needed to save my life was there right when I needed them.” - Jim Herman Hamilton Medical Center Cardiology Services 706.272.6156 hamiltonhealth.com/heart


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