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heart attack

Hamilton Medical Center Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Providing High-Quality Stroke Care

July 14, 2022

Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines^® – Stroke quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.

HMC also recently earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center.

Hamilton Medical Center was recently recognized for high-quality stroke care. Stroke care specialists are pictured. In the front, from left, are Meagan Darnell, Sara Kate Rogers, Sumaiya Khondker, MD, and Camrie Ackerman. In the back are Beanie Jones, Laura Calderon, Kendall Black and Heather Wibberding.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.

Are you at risk for a stroke?

Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines – Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.

“Hamilton is committed to providing excellent patient care,” said Meagan Darnell, Stroke Program coordinator. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to continue providing quality healthcare, ensuring more people in this area can experience longer, healthier lives.”

Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Hamilton Medical Center for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, chairperson of the Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

Additionally, HMC received the Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition. To qualify for the Stroke Honor Roll Elite recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster alteplase. The Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

Get With The Guidelines^® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 12 million patients since 2001.

Hamilton Medical Center Among Nation’s Top Performing Hospitals For Treatment of Heart Attack Patients

June 20, 2022

Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Gold Performance Achievement Award for 2022. Hamilton Medical Center is one of only 81 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

The award recognizes HMC’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that HMC has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

Hamilton Medical Center was recently recognized for a high standard of care for heart attack patients. In the front, from left, are Heather Wibberding, RN; Gary Olson, MD; Preethi Padmanaban, MD; Tammy Stewart, cardiovascular resource specialist; and Kristie Stiles, RN. In the back are Alex Hawkins, monitor tech; Kelvin Moss, MD; Aubrey Cawthon, MD; Ezad Ahmad, MD; Harveer Mann, MD; and Rajiv Verma, MD.

To receive the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Gold Performance Achievement Award, Hamilton has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry for two consecutive years (2020 and 2021), and performed at the top level for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients.

“It is an honor to award Hamilton with the Gold Performance Award for their valuable national leadership and dedication to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, and cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “The receipt of this award indicates that hamilton remains committed to providing top quality, guideline-driven care for heart attack patients. Their success ensures patients are receiving the highest quality cardiovascular care.”

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that over 800,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.

Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients.

As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the American College of Cardiology and its more than 56,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards, and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions.

Hamilton Celebrating Cardiac Rehabilitation Week

February 25, 2022

Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) is recognizing its Cardiac Rehabilitation Program during Cardiac Rehab Week, Feb. 13-19.

Cardiac Rehab at Bradley Wellness Center is a 12-week, medically supervised program for the recovering cardiac patient. The program includes monitored exercises, educational sessions, dietary consults and behavioral change interventions. The goal of this program is to equip the patient with the necessary tools to be able to make the appropriate choices and changes to help increase his or her physical, mental and emotional well-being.

group photo of cardiac rehab staff — The Hamilton Medical Center Cardiac Rehabilitation team is pictured. From left are Lori Epps, Tina Haithcock, Emily Cornelius, Palak Patel, Debbie Duckett and Tori McDaniel.

The program includes:
• Initial interview with a cardiac rehabilitation specialist who will carefully evaluate the needs of the patient and recommend an individualized program
• Personal, supervised, monitored exercise sessions
• Patient and family education (individual and group sessions)
• Cholesterol testing
• Nutritional counseling
• Assistance in developing a safe home exercise program
• Encouragement and support from the staff.

Hamilton’s cardiac team consists of physicians, a registered nurse, exercise physiologists, and a registered dietitian who work together to provide specialized services including exercise prescriptions, dietary consults and education on various health topics for the patient and their family.

HMC’s cardiac rehabilitation is covered by most insurance plans. For more information, call 706-272-6574 or visit bradleywell.com/cardiac-rehab.

Hamilton To Offer Take It To Heart Program

February 3, 2022

Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) will offer its next Take it to Heart Program on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 26 at scheduled times. The program includes a free cardiac risk assessment and information to help you prevent future heart problems.

“By knowing your risk, you can take steps to avoid heart disease,” said Stephen Rohn, MD, cardiologist at Hamilton Physician Group – Cardiology.

Take it to Heart is a two-part program. The first part consists of an educational seminar in the Brown Auditorium at HMC, presented by Rohn. His presentation includes education on causes, risk and genetic factors, diet, exercise, symptoms, treatments and medications.

The second part, held at Hamilton Diagnostics Center, is a cardiac risk assessment including blood pressure, calcium scoring, lab work (total cholesterol and HDL), height, weight and a series of questions.

This program is free and open to anyone who has not participated in Take it to Heart in the last five years, is not currently being treated by a cardiologist, has not had stents put in, and has at least two of the following risk factors: Family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, history of smoking and being overweight.

A physician’s order for the cardiac scoring is required. Please have your physician send the order to Hamilton Diagnostics Center on or before Feb. 22 in order to receive a free CT scan. If you do not have a primary care provider, please call 706-272-6114. Fasting for lab assessment is required.

If you would like to attend this event and need assistance with interpretation services and/or auxiliary aids, please indicate when registering.

To register or for more information, call 706-272-6114. Space has been limited more than usual due to COVID safety precautions.

Kim joins Hamilton Physician Group – Cardiology

October 7, 2021

Y. Grant Kim, MD, says trust is the most precious aspect of being a physician and that trust is earned.

“I have the utmost privilege of helping to heal the sick and making a difference in someone’s life,” he says. “I take that very seriously.”

Kim is an interventional and structural cardiologist at Hamilton Physician Group – Cardiology.

Interventional cardiology is the subspecialty of cardiology that uses specialized catheter-based techniques to diagnose and treat coronary artery disease, vascular disease, structural heart disease and congenital heart defects. Structural cardiology involves treating heart defects that a person is born with or developed due to aging, injury or infection.

He attended medical school at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and completed his residency training in internal medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Conn. He completed his fellowships in general cardiology and interventional cardiology at the Yale School of Medicine and then further trained in structural heart disease at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Calif.

Kim says he chose interventional and structural cardiology because he values being part of a field that continues to grow and evolve.

“All of our treatments and procedures feature the latest advances in science and technology,” he says. He says he chose to join the team at Hamilton because Hamilton aspires to provide the very best care and treatments for the patients and community.

In his spare time, Kim plays multiple musical instruments including guitar, bass guitar and violin. He also enjoys woodworking, hiking and golf.

To schedule an appointment with Kim, call Hamilton Physician Group – Cardiology at 706-226-3434.

Cardiac Rehab Staff Taking Extra Precautions to Keep Patients Safe

February 12, 2021

Hamilton Medical Center’s (HMC) Cardiac Rehabilitation Program has continued to provide safe services throughout the pandemic.

“We certainly understand the reluctance that some people have in coming in for rehab,” says Tina Haithcock, Cardiac Rehabilitation Program manager. “We want people to know that we’ve taken additional steps to keep everyone safe, because it’s still very important to participate in a cardiac rehab program when your condition warrants it.”

According to Haithcock, staff are screening everyone at the door, limiting class sizes, social distancing, enhancing cleaning processes and keeping exercise equipment separated by 10 feet.

“When you’ve had a cardiac event, and cardiac rehab is prescribed by your doctor, following through and participating in cardiac rehab significantly lowers your chance of having another life-threatening event,” says Jim Stewart, MD, board certified interventional and structural cardiologist. “It also lowers your chance of needing to be readmitted to the hospital and boosts your chances of getting back to an active lifestyle.”

Hamilton’s Cardiac Rehab program can help patients feel healthier and allow them to return to a full and productive life and help prevent other heart problems. Those who have had a heart attack, bypass surgery, stents, congestive heart failure, or other cardiovascular disease are strong candidates for the program.

Cardiac Rehab at Bradley Wellness Center is a 12-week, medically supervised program for the recovering cardiac patient. The program includes monitored exercises, educational sessions, dietary consults, and behavioral change interventions. The goal of this program is to equip the patient with the necessary tools to be able to make the appropriate choices and changes to help increase his or her physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Haithcock says patients are treated like family. “We’re going to do all we can to keep you safe,” she says.

Tina Haithcock, Clinical Services Manager

After graduating from Hamilton’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, each patient is encouraged to continue exercise with the maintenance program called PREP (Progressive Rehabilitation Exercise Program).

A physician’s referral is required for Cardiac Rehab and PREP. After receiving the physician’s referral, a staff member will contact the patient to set an appointment for an initial assessment. Upon completion, the program is ready to begin.

HMC’s cardiac rehabilitation is covered by most insurance plans. For more information, call 706-272-6574 or visit hamiltonhealth.com/cardiac-rehab.

Hamilton Health Care System Names Hamilton Hero Recipients

June 6, 2019

Chad Edwards, MD, Hamilton Physician Group (HPG) – General Surgery; Juan Gonzalez, MD, HPG – Neurology; and Josh Hare, DO, HPG – Neurosurgery and Spine; recently received the Hamilton Hero Award for displaying an extraordinary commitment to the values of Hamilton Health Care System during life-saving events.

Several Hamilton staff members along with Gonzalez and Edwards were eating dinner at a local restaurant.

A man got up from his table and appeared to be sneezing until his wife got up from the table and ran over to him. The man had a napkin to his mouth and was bent over. Gonzalez was informed that the man was choking. While he and Edwards were running over to the man, the restaurant owner saw what was going on and attempted the Heimlich maneuver without success. Edwards immediately started assessing the situation, while Gonzalez grabbed the man and started the Heimlich maneuver. After about three attempts, the food was dislodged.

Hare was playing basketball with his usual teammates at Bradley Wellness Center. A fellow teammate started to show signs of a heart attack, and Hare stepped in immediately to assist. He attached the AED and placed oxygen on the man. While waiting for emergency personnel, Hare talked the man through the situation, reassuring him that he was going to be alright.

“Immediately stepping in to assist in an emergency situation while off duty shows the type of people they are,” said Jason Hopkins, Human Resources director. “We’re very appreciative of their service on and off the clock.”

Hamilton Physician Group – Primary Care

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Hamilton Physician Group – Primary Care