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Home > News
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| Friday, April 22, 2011
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Contact: Debra Thompson
Director, RMH Corporate Communications
540-564-5886
David Lizotte, PA-C, physician assistant, Cardiothoracic
Surgery, receives a warm greeting from a patient. View
more photos>
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The RMH Heart and Vascular Center celebrated three years since the launch of its cardiothoracic surgery program with a reception for patients and their families April 16.
The event drew nearly 150 guests, who met with RMH Heart and Vascular Center staff, enjoyed light refreshments and heard remarks from cardiothoracic surgeon Steven Marra, MD, and Dave Grembi, director, RMH Heart and Vascular Center.
“There are some of you standing here today who may not have survived if you had to wait an extra hour or two to go outside the community to receive care,” Dr. Marra told guests. “This is your community and this is your program. We’re extremely pleased with the quality outcomes we’ve achieved, and I want to thank you for entrusting RMH with your care.”
The RMH cardiothoracic surgery team has performed more than 650 procedures—including cardiac bypass, valve repair and replacement, lung surgery and other chest cavity procedures—since the program launched in early 2008, Grembi noted.
“We are pleased to be able to offer a comprehensive heart and vascular program for residents of the Shenandoah Valley,” Grembi said. “Adding a cardiothoracic surgery program at RMH wouldn’t have been possible without a strong existing line of heart and vascular services, including 24-7 coronary intervention services, three interventional suites, eight cardiologists, cardiac rehabilitation and electrophysiology. RMH has been building over the years toward a vision of offering cardiothoracic surgery, but it takes a comprehensive program to do so. These pieces have come together by design, because our community needs and deserves access to this service in their community.”
In attendance were some of the first patients of the cardiothoracic surgery program, including Bill Blodgett, the third RMH heart patient. Blodgett, who was hospitalized for pneumonia in June 2010, was also the first patient to be moved to the new RMH facility on June 22, 2010.
Also in attendance were RMH heart patients Sergeant Russell Metcalf, a 10-year member of the Harrisonburg Police Department; Everette and Florine Kline of Timberville, the first married couple both to receive cardiothoracic surgery at RMH; and Vallie Mae Stroop of Harrisonburg, a child radio star who was inducted into the Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame along with her former husband, musician “Spike” Stroop.
Howard Curry, 68, of Harrisonburg, who received a quadruple bypass at RMH in July 2010, spoke highly of the care that he received at RMH.
“It was a good experience,” he said. “I felt very confident in Dr. Marra’s abilities. The team seemed very confident, and that made me feel at ease. I can’t say enough good things about the folks in cardiac rehab. They pushed me hard, but you didn’t feel they were doing anything that wasn’t good for you. They made me think nothing but good things about the experience.”
Curry, retired from the U.S. Postal Service, attended the reception with his wife, Betty, who worked in the Central Sterile department at RMH for 27 years.
“We really appreciate RMH,” she said. “They have good nurses and good personnel. We wouldn’t want to have to go anywhere else.”
For more information, visit RMHHeartandVascular.com, or call (540) 689-1800.
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