Srinivas Kesanakurthy, MD, Director of TBHC’s newly enhanced Cardiac
Catheterization Lab, readies a patient for a cardiac intervention.
The Brooklyn Hospital Center and
Mount Sinai Heart Collaborate to Provide
Comprehensive Cardiac Care
in Downtown Brooklyn
Recently, The Brooklyn Hospital Center (TBHC) and Mount
Sinai Heart launched a clinical collaboration that provides
access to comprehensive cardiac care in Downtown Brooklyn.
The alliance makes it possible for TBHC to offer sophisticated
preventive, diagnostic, interventional and treatment services
such as electrophysiology (EP) studies and percutaneous
coronary interventions (PCI).
“Now patients can receive this care from top physicians at a
first-rate facility right in their own neighborhood without
having to cross a bridge,” said Gary G. Terrinoni, President
and CEO of TBHC. “The expansion of TBHC’s cardiology
services means increased access to high-quality care for
nearly one million Downtown Brooklyn residents, both in
incidents of emergency and preventive care, allowing us to
better continue Keeping Brooklyn Healthy.”
Since 1845, TBHC has been dedicated to providing outstanding
health services, education and research to keep the people
of Brooklyn and greater New York healthy. TBHC’s focus is
ensuring optimal patient care through the use of advanced
technology, innovative medical and surgical treatments, and
staff expertise.
This recent collaboration and TBHC’s excellent cardiologists
and clinicians are offering lifesaving care to Brooklynites
under the guidance of Sarath Reddy, MD, Chief of Cardiology
at TBHC. Supported by a joint cardiology fellowship under the
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, primary cardiology
services also are offered through TBHC’s Family Health
Centers and other sites in TBHC’s ambulatory care network.
Srinivas Kesanakurthy, MD, Director of TBHC’s newly
enhanced Cardiac Catheterization Lab, points out that, “When
every second counts, our community can count on TBHC
before, during and after a cardiac event.”
For more information about The Brooklyn Heart Center,
call 718.250.8265 or visit tbh.org/brooklynheart.
Personalized treatment
approaches can help patients
with lung cancer breathe easier
Seventy-four year old Sandy Sargent of Seattle was an avid hiker who
had always found it hard to sit still, so she never expected her nagging
cough would turn out to be anything beyond a seasonal cold. When an
X-ray confirmed a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis and her doctor estimated
she had six to nine months to live, it took her breath away.
“I’m not the type of person to cry or feel defeated. I had so many reasons
to keep breathing, like a great-grandson on the way and a husband who
relies on me. So, I worked with my healthcare team to make a plan.”
To determine the best treatment approach for her stage 4 lung cancer,
Sargent’s doctor ordered tests that look for certain “biomarkers,” or characteristics
that can be used to help a doctor create a personalized care
plan. She then began a treatment course based on those results and has
had no new lung cancer progression since.
Now, she is using her breath in a new way: to spread the word that people
with lung cancer need to understand their disease better so they know
how to talk to their doctor and to find ways to stay positive.
“I hadn’t even heard of a ‘biomarker’ before I was diagnosed. People
need to learn as much as they can about their cancer so they can be their
own advocates.”
There are several different types of lung cancer, and how the disease
looks and progresses can vary significantly among different people. As scientists
have learned more about the disease’s complexities and the human
body, they have been better able to tailor treatment approaches to individual
needs.
“Biomarker testing and today’s lung cancer therapies have helped improve
patient care, as a personalized medical approach helps us better devise
our treatment plans,” said David Waterhouse, M.D., M.P.H., an oncologist
at Oncology Hematology Care, Inc. in Cincinnati. “We also need to
encourage patients to work with their doctor on lifestyle changes they can
stick with and to find support from loved ones or in their communities.”
Larry McFall, 76, of Daytona Beach, also diagnosed with stage 4 lung
cancer, is no stranger to the positive impact support can have.
He recalls feeling down and isolated when he began his treatments.
Until one day, when getting a treatment on his birthday, his doctor and
several other care team members surprised him with a big birthday cake
and a song.
“It was a real testament to how small, personal acts of compassion can
really make a difference. Since that day, those of us in the center talk with
one another about how we’re feeling and our families. When someone
starts treating you as an individual instead of a number, it’s entirely different.
You’re not just a cancer patient, you’re a human.”
McFall has joined Bristol-Myers Squibb in asking the public to share
their #ImBreathingBecause inspirations via social media and to visit www.
ImBreathingBecause.com to learn more.
As for Sargent, she is not taking any breath for granted.
“Cancer doesn’t define me. I continue breathing for all the new adventures
I want to have with family and friends. That’s my wish for others
going through this - to find something that motivates you and hang onto
that; to have hope.” (BPT)
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