Cardiac team saves lives like clockwork
from Parma Hospital's Spring 2008 Informed magazine
It’s no surprise to Jim Hatfield that Parma Hospital is among the 100 Top Hospitals in the nation for cardiovascular care.
Brought to Parma Hospital by ambulance on an August afternoon, the Brecksville resident was facing the most serious health crisis of his life. A longtime patient of another hospital, he had never set foot in Parma Hospital before. Now he won’t go anywhere else for his health care.
The 100 Top Hospitals listing is the result of a comprehensive study of nearly 1,000 hospitals nationwide using publicly available data over the past two years. The study reveals that the U.S. hospitals recognized for the best clinical outcomes also treat patients in less time and at a lower cost. If all cardiovascular hospitals achieved the same results as the 100 Top Hospitals award winners, more than 7,000 lives would be saved and nearly 750 medical complications would be avoided annually.
“The people (at Parma Hospital) put me at ease quickly with their interest in providing great care,” says Hatfield, 70. “This award was well-deserved, based on my experience.”
Hatfield arrived at Parma Hospital in the throes of a heart attack and cardiogenic shock. Though he had experienced intermittent chest pain for more than three years, the hospital he previously went to for his care had never performed a cardiac catheterization. Parma Hospital immediately did an emergency catheterization, modified to spare serious damage to his weakened kidneys, which cleared a 99-percent blockage. After the cath, he underwent triple bypass surgery and a heart valve repair.
Recovery took place in the Heart Center, which cares for cardiac surgical and interventional patients. During his stay, Hatfield benefited from the consistent care of experienced nurses until his discharge.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Joseph Lahorra, MD, was kind but direct in explaining to Hatfield the seriousness of his situation, especially after the patient’s heart raced so fast that it stopped beating – just one of the times staff jumped in to save his life.
“I spent all my life in research and development,” says Hatfield, a stocktrader. “I didn’t want any sugar coating, and Lahorra and the other doctors and nurses were really good at telling me how it really was. Everybody thought my chance of survival was slim. Dr. Lahorra came in one evening, took my hand and said, ‘You’re walking out of here.”
Lahorra gave Hatfield the boost he needed most – and the fortitude to fight.
“You have to motivate patients,” says Dr. Lahorra. “His survival is truly a testament to the team here.”
And he did. Hatfield’s lungs and kidneys slowly revived and Cardiologist James Ramicone, DO installed a defibrillator that would shock his heart back into rhythm if it stopped again.
Later in the year Hatfield returned to Parma Hospital’s Coronary Care Unit when his congestive heart failure acted up. Again, the care did not disappoint.
“I received world-class care at Parma Hospital,” says Hatfield. “The staff was not only attentive and professional but seemed to have a sincere personal commitment to going the extra mile in providing their patients with the best care and comfort possible.
“I am now using doctors affiliated with Parma for all my health needs.”