Kingwood Medical Center

October 26, 2011

Kingwood Providing the Same Expertise and Technology Found in Larger Medical Centers

Kingwood Medical Center (KMC) recently celebrated its 400th open heart surgery--a quadruple bypass that saved 53-year-old, San Jacinto County resident, Donald Daley’s life.

"My dad is a guitarist and was playing with his band, PopaString, at a benefit near Kingwood for children in need," said Daley’s son, Zach. "After the show, he looked so pale and nearly passed out. We took him immediately to Kingwood Medical Center. Thank God it was so close and that these incredible doctors and nurses were right here. I just don’t think he would have made it without this amazing hospital in Kingwood."

Daley arrived at the KMC emergency room with classic symptoms of a STEMI (ST elevated myocardial infarction) and was first diagnosed by the Emergency Department physician and then confirmed by Dr. Ira Lieber, an interventional cardiologist with Texas Cardiology Associates of Houston. Lieber along with six other interventional cardiologists on staff at KMC are available day and night for just this type of emergency. In Daley’s case the intervention performed By Dr. Lieber was the immediate procedure that saved his heart muscle, decreased his risk for cardiac surgery and improved his long term outcome.

"Since 2005 our team of cardiologists has performed over 530 STEMI procedures in our three, and soon to be four, state-of-the-art cath labs." said Lieber. "More times than not patients require emergency care by the interventional cardiologist but do not need open heart surgery. However when we do need the skill sets of our cardiovascular surgeons it is comforting to know we have those capabilities at KMC. We are also fortunate to have RNs and cardiovascular technicians working in our cath labs that are outstanding in their field and make our job so much easier. We depend on them heavily."

"Just recently we had three patients come within four hours of each other to the hospital with STEMI symptoms that required cardiac catheterization (cath) lab interventions,” said Dr. Mazen Ganim, an interventional cardiologist with Cardiovascular Association. "We cared for three of the patients in the cath lab in record time and with great outcomes."

"The numbers are impressive, but it is the care that makes our program so exceptional," said Melinda Stephenson, CEO of Kingwood Medical Center. "Our cardiology team consistently outperforms national standards for treating patients with severe heart attacks."

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission, that certifies hospitals for performance and quality standards, currently recommend that when patients arrive at a designated STEMI-receiving facility like KMC, that it should take less than 90 minutes from the moment the patient comes through the door of the emergency department to restore blood flow to the arteries surrounding the heart (door-to-balloon time).

"Our team of physicians and nurses provides door-to-balloon times that are significantly better than the 90-minute recommendation. In 2011 we are averaging 58-minutes door-to-balloon. That says it all," emphasized Stephenson.

Bringing top-notch heart and vascular care to the communities in and around Kingwood has always been the goal of Kingwood Medical Center. The Open Heart Program at KMC was planned for over a year before opening in November of 2007 with the help of cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon Dr. Stephen Maniscalco, a former faculty member at Baylor College of Medicine. Today Dr. Maniscalco and cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon Dr. John Davis, a former faculty member at the Texas Heart Institute, perform on average 150 open heart surgeries each year at Kingwood Medical Center.

"Our Interventional Cardiology program was the first in the area and evolved to offer the area’s only open heart surgery program. We combine a superior team of cardiac care experts, modern facilities, and the latest medical innovations. We can do just about anything that the medical center can do as far as cardiothoracic and vascular surgery is concerned. We want to make sure the people we care for, like Donald Daley, can stay in their community close to home and receive the highest standard of care available," Dr. Maniscalco said.

"We are proud of the exceptional nursing staff that support our heart program," said Jenny Conner, RN BSN, Perioperative Director at Kingwood Medical Center. "Our nurses live for this heart program, working with our CV surgeons and being a part of the OR heart team. As a cardiac program we have become the Gold Standard because of the work performed in our OR by surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists and support staff."

"Our Cardiac Intensive Care Unit nurses work closely with the cardiologists and the CV surgeons caring for the patients before and after the procedures,” said Jennifer Caribardi, RN BSN CCRN, Director Critical Care. "Dedicated staff, trained in cardiac care is critical to the overall success of our program."

Kingwood Medical Center has a dedicated Cardiac Intensive Care Unit where patients receive critical care when they need it most. Once they return home, patients are able to continue their recovery process with the familiar team they’ve come to know and trust through the cardiac rehabilitation department located at KMC.

"Cardiac rehab helps our patients understand the correct way to exercise, cope with their disease, and manage risk factors,” said Cardiac Rehabilitation Coordinator, Ginger Burklow. "Many of my patients are depressed and feel like they are at the end of their life. We help them understand they can have a new beginning." She added, "It works because our patients become friends and look forward to exercising and learning together, sharing stories and common experiences."

KMC prides itself on the full circle of care provided for heart patients including the Mended Hearts Program that provides trained volunteers who visit one-on-one with inpatients, answering questions and offering encouragement as patients work toward recovery. The program also offers group meetings where patients can receive much needed support after experiencing the emotional impact of heart disease and surgery.

Throughout the year Kingwood Medical Center offers community events like Heart Healthy Ladies Night offered during February’s "Heart Month", the event hosted area women for an evening of fun and education. Cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon John Davis, M. D. and cardiologist Madaiah Revana, M.D., shared ways to keep hearts fit, which included exercising, eating a diet low in fat and enjoying indulgences such as red wine and chocolate in moderation. Guests also benefitted from learning how heart attack warning signs differ for women as compared to men.

Kingwood Medical Center remains committed to preventing heart disease and offering technologically advanced care for those, like Donald Daley, who experience heart related illness. The physicians, staff and volunteers at KMC know the importance of providing educational, emotional and physical care to ensure a healthy community.

For more information about Kingwood Medical Center and the services offered, please call us at 281-348-8000 or visit us online at KingwoodMedical.com.

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