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Sa ma rita n Hospita l to just be a n a lli- a nce on paper," Dr. La Mendola says. " We ha d to creat e a t r ue ex t en sion of t he e x i s t i n g pr og r a m a nd pa r t- nership w ith the ca rdiolog y tea m at Good Sa ma rita n Hospita l; other wise it simply wa sn't going to work or be fa ir to patients. Open-hea r t surger y is a sor t of ba llet. Working a longside the right people — some of whom I've known for 20 yea rs — a nd paying close attention to ever y detail creates better patient outcomes. The experience a nd dedication of my colleag ues are unsur- passed. The end result is a program that mirrors the awa rd-winning prog ra m at St. Fra ncis Hospita l in a convenient com munit y set ting t hat is closer to home for ma ny of our patients." The St. Fra ncis Hospita l, The Hea r t Center Open-Hea r t Surger y Prog ra m at Good Sa ma rita n Hospita l opened in Ja nua r y 2014. Since its launch, approximately 600 patients have undergone open-hea r t surger y in t he unit . Patient satisfaction scores a re consistently high, a nd sur viva l rates equa l those of St. Fra ncis Hospita l. Such a high level of care wouldn't be possible without close collaboration a mong the St. Fra ncis Hospita l open-hea r t prog ra m tea m a nd G ood Sa ma r it a n Hospit a l ca rdiolo- g ists, surgeons, a nesthesiolog ists, per f usionists, nurses, inter ventiona l ca rdiolog ists a nd other key personnel. The tea ms interact smoothly a nd consta ntly. Patients a re the focus of ever y interaction a nd effor t. " We've created a state-of-the-ar t program that maintains a high sta nda rd of ca re a nd is helmed by physicia ns who a re truly accessible to patients, no matter the time of day," Dr. La Mendola says. "It 's a n environment in which a nyone would be proud to work." GOING THE DISTANCE Follow-up throughout the course of care for cardiac patients is key to long-term success and surviva l. At Good Samaritan Hospita l, post-intervention care includes medica l manage- ment, symptom monitoring, routine follow-up visits with cardiologists to track patient progress, and a lso education about habits and behaviors that can have short- and long-term effects on the well-being of patients with heart issues. Focusing on the importance of eating deliberately, dietitians work hand in hand with patients to provide thorough guidance about ma king informed food choices that will enhance and support their heart hea lth. Dietitians are available to work with patients on inpatient and outpatient bases for continued support throughout recovery and return to norma l life. Simi la rly, ca rdiac rehabi litation ca n help restore a nd ensure the wel l-being a nd v ita lit y of hea r t patients in a sa fe, structured setting. "Our ca rdiac rehabilitation prog ra m is a comprehensive resource for patients," Dr. A ltschu l says. " W hether they have undergone a procedure such as by pass surger y or a re attempting to manage a cardiac condition such as congestive hea r t failure or ma ligna nt a rrhy thmias, patients a re placed on programs tailored to their needs by exercise physiologists using input from pa r ticipa nts a nd their physicia ns." During str uctured, super v ised ca rdiac rehabi litation, those with hea r t issues see exercise physiolog ists severa l times a week for three months. Each step of the process is Good Samaritan's cardiac nurses, including Sunday Campolo-Athans, (shown here with Dr. La Mendola) nurse manager of the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit, are specially trained to ensure the same level of award-winning care as that provided at St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center. The Theresa Patnode Santmann Center for Cardiovascular Services provides the full range of diagnostic testing and treatment for adults, including cardiac catheterization, primary angioplasty, coronary stent placement, open-heart surgery, intra-aortic balloon insertion, pulmonary artery catheter insertion, pacemaker insertion, echocardiography, cardioversion, electrophysiology, ICD placement checks and tilt table studies. M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S L O N G I S L A N D ■ 2 016 0 9