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Take HeartWithout missing a beat, doctors bring a Laurence Harbor man back to life.
One moment, Gary Colyer was having an X-ray. The next, he woke up in a cardiac catheterization lab, completely confused about what had happened. Gary, 33, was at Bayshore Medical Center, and he was in the luckiest of circumstances for his situation. While there, Gary went into cardiac arrest three times, and was brought back to life each time by Rajiv Prasad, M.D., the medical director of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Bayshore. “He would have died if he hadn’t come to the Emergency Department,” Dr. Prasad says. “We were able to intervene within seconds.”
A Quick Response
When Gary woke up early that morning, he felt tightness in his chest. His then-girlfriend was getting ready to take him to the hospital when he collapsed.
She called 911, but by the time paramedics arrived, Gary was feeling better and refused to go. Shortly after they left, however, Gary realized he wasn’t OK and she took him to Bayshore. During his medical evaluation, Gary became unresponsive in the X-ray room and the technician quickly called for a rapid response. “I remember collapsing and the X-ray technician catching me,” he says. “It was pretty scary.”
Dr. Prasad found that Gary’s heart had stopped and he had no pulse, meaning he was in cardiac arrest. Dr. Prasad quickly shocked Gary’s heart to start it beating again. A repeat electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed he was having a life-threatening heart attack. After the initial cardiac arrest, Gary’s heart stopped two more times and he needed to be shocked each time. After shocking him three times, Dr. Prasad was able to stabilize him and he was rushed to the cardiac catheterization lab for further treatment. Cardiologist Parveen Uppal, M.D., performed angioplasty, a nonsurgical procedure in which a catheter is inserted into the blocked artery and a balloon is used to open the blockage and restore blood flow to the heart. He also placed a mesh-wire tube, known as a stent, to help keep it open.
“If you’re having chest pain, shortness of breath or any symptoms of a heart attack, you really should go to an Emergency Department versus an urgent care center,” Dr. Prasad says. “The Emergency Department will rapidly evaluate you and determine if you are having an acute heart attack. If so, we have the capability to resuscitate you and get you to the cardiac catheterization lab in a timely manner. If it’s not a heart attack, we can run other tests to determine the cause of your symptoms.” Lifesavers Today, Gary has made some lifestyle changes — he quit smoking and no longer eats fast food — in order to stay healthy going forward. He’s grateful to the Bayshore staff for their expert care. “They were amazing; they took care of every need that I had,” he says. “It’s the best hospital I’ve been to.”
President’s Message
I am incredibly proud of Bayshore Medical Center’s accomplishments in 2017, and to serve as its president. There is a true heartbeat at Bayshore that stems not only from its stellar cardiac care program – which has one of the fastest door-to-balloon times in the country, and for which this year it was awarded the Mission: Lifeline STEMI Gold Receiving award for outstanding treatment for heart attack care – but also because of its people.
The people at this medical center are doing incredible things and it is being recognized on a national level. For the first time in its history, Bayshore Medical Center earned an “A” rating by The Leapfrog Group for patient safety. Additionally, new procedures are being offered on a regular basis, including cochlear implant surgery, a new biopsy procedure to better diagnosis prostate cancer, and the introduction of groundbreaking technology that targets and kills tumors of the liver, kidneys and lungs.
I would truly like to thank the wonderful physicians, enthusiastic team members, generous donors, steadfast volunteers, and our community for making 2017 one for the record books. We have much to look forward to in 2018, including the continued planning of a brand new Emergency Department, and many more achievements and innovations that will help Bayshore Medical Center continue to provide excellent patient care.
Timothy J. Hogan, FACHE
President, Bayshore Medical Center
Bayshore Battles Opioid Addiction
In an effort to help combat drug addiction in the Bayshore region, the medical center proudly launched an Opioid Overdose Recovery Program (OORP). Made possible through a state grant and administered by the RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention, the program is designed to provide peer-to-peer bedside counseling with the goal of getting individuals who have been reversed from a drug overdose into an appropriate treatment program.
Leaping for Greatness
Bayshore Medical Center was thrilled to rise from a “C” grade to secure its first ever “A” from The Leapfrog Group in the fall of 2017 for its commitment to patient safety and for meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S.
Advancing Urology Care for the Community
In 2017, Bayshore Medical Center expanded its urology surgical capabilities with the addition of new technology, including the LithoVue™ Ureteroscope System, which provides easier access and visualization of the urinary tract in patients with complex anatomies.
The Women’s Center at Bayshore Medical Center Receives National Accreditation
Bayshore Medical Center was the proud recipient of a three-year, full accreditation designation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a program administered by the American College of Surgeons. Accreditation by the NAPBC is only awarded to centers that provide the highest level of breast care and undergo a demanding performance review.
Healing Wounds through Excellence
The Center for Wound Healing at Bayshore Medical Center received a Center of Excellence award and was again named a Center of Distinction by Healogics, Inc., a company with an expertise in wound healing that works for the advancement of wound healing treatment.
Leadership Team
Tim Hogan, FACHE
President
Frank Citara, MBA
Chief Operating Officer
Roman Tuma, M.D., CPE, FACP
Vice President Clinical Effectiveness and Medical Affairs
Linda Walsh MSN, RN, CEN, NE-BC
Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive
Rachel Weiss, MS, LNHA, FACHE
Vice President, Physician and Business Development
Frank Citara, MBA
Senior Manager, Operations
Medical Staff Leadership
George Younan, M.D.
President
Georgios Giannakopoulos, D.O.
Vice President
Sam Bebawy, M.D..
Secretary
Niranjan Shah, M.D.
Treasurer
Bonnie Robinson-Gallaro, M.D.
Immediate Past President