HeartbeatWinter 2012-13

• Going Green St. Francis opens first environmentally friendly ER on LI

• Advances in Cardiac Research A behind-the-scenes look at leading-edge clinical trials

• Highest HonorsU.S. News ranks St. Francis one of the best for the sixth straight year

The Magazine of St. Francis Hospital The Heart Center®

A Member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island

Heartbeat Winter 2012-13 • St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ®2

From the

President In this Issue

Heartbeat is published by St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center®. Questions or comments

can be directed to St. Francis Hospital, Office of Development and Public Affairs, 100 Port Washington Blvd., Roslyn,

New York 11576. (516) 705-6655. Copyright © 2012. All Rights Reserved. St. Francis Hospital is a member of

Catholic Health Services of Long Island, the healthcare ministry of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

Editor: Paul Barry. Writers: LaShieka Hunter, Rosemary Gomez.

Editorial assistant: Debra Tischler. Contributing photographers: William Baker and Steve Moors.

Designer: Roger Gorman, Reiner Design.

page 6

page 8

page 10

From the President 2

In the NewsHigh School Track Star Saved by Cardiac Screening 3New York Magazine Top Cardiac Doctors 3Top Grades from Consumer Reports and Leapfrog 4St. Francis Receives Stroke Gold Plus Award Again 4St. Francis Top Rated in NY State Cardiac Reports 5U.S. News Ranks SFH One of the Best for Sixth Time 5

FeaturesNew Innovations in Interventional Cardiovascular Medicine 6George Petrossian, M.D., provides a behind-the-scenes look at leading edge clinical trials

Going Green 8St. Francis Hospital Unveils First “Green ER” on Long Island

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Heart 10New advances in cardiac research

Giving BackMeet the Dixons 12Campaigning for Excellence: $70.3 Million Raised 12The Loyal One 13A Real Champion for St. Francis Hospital 13

Welcome Back A Former Patient’s Homecoming 14

Vital Signs SFH Gets Ready for Epic 15Latest Tools for Treating GI Disease 16Critical Care Nurses Earn Beacon Award 17St. Francis Orthopedic Department Update 18

Staff News 19

Giving Thanks

Early Thanksgiving Dinner: Long Beach, NY, November, 17, 2012

Traditionally, we host the St. Francis Hospital Annual Gala onthe Saturday before Thanksgiving. This year, with so many ofour friends and family still recovering from the aftermath ofHurricane Sandy, we quickly shifted gears and hosted a special early Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday, November 17,to feed 2,500 residents of Long Beach. These fellow LongIslanders have been through so much in recent weeks whiletrying to provide themselves and their families with the mostbasic needs of shelter and food.

I think of the many stories of resilience and fortitude I heardthat day. These individuals and their families are especiallygrateful to all those who are helping them overcome their devastating losses. The holiday season is a fitting time for allof us to pause and be grateful for all the things that matterwithin our own families and communities.

Please know that at St. Francis Hospital we are always herefor you whenever you might need to turn to us. In fact, evenduring the height of the storm, the Hospital remained fullyoperational and cared for additional patients who were evacuated from flood zones.

As our region moves forward with the recovery effort, we are most thankful for the support of the Hospital’s benefactors so that our community can continue to dependupon St. Francis Hospital in times of need.

On behalf of our hospital family, many thanks and warmestwishes to you for a holiday season filled with the love of yourfamily and friends.

Best wishes,

Alan D. Guerci, M.D.

President and CEO

St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ® • Winter 2012-13 Heartbeat3

In the News

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Hurdle of the Heart Puts St.Francis Student Athlete CardiacScreening in the Spotlight

St. Francis Hospital once again hasmore top doctors for cardiac care onthis year’s New York Magazine BestDoctors list than any other hospital onLong Island. Seven St. Francis physi-cians made the selective list, six ofthem in a cardiac specialty category.

The popular, yearly list is generatedby Castle Connolly, the publisher ofAmerica’s Top Doctors, which is widelyrecognized as one of the most authori-tative guides to the best physicians in the nation. New York Magazine’scomplete list can be accessed athttp://newyorkmetro.com/bestdoctors/index.htm.

Here are all of the cardiac and noncardiac physicians from St. Francis who made the 2012 list:• Sean Levchuck, M.D.

(Pediatric Cardiology)• Joseph Levine, M.D.

(Cardiac Electrophysiology)• George Petrossian, M.D.

(Interventional Cardiology)• Newell Robinson, M.D.

(Thoracic Surgery) • Steve Rucker, M.D.

(Internal Medicine)• Richard Shlofmitz, M.D.

(Cardiovascular Disease)• David Wertheim, M.D.

(Allergy & Immunology)

Sean Levchuck, M.D., Chairman of Pediatric Cardiology, (l.), shares the media spotlight with Tyler Capozzoli and the teen trackstar’s mom, Deirdre.

New York Magazine BestDoctors 2012: St. FrancisHas More Top Doctors forCardiac Care than Any OtherHospital on Long Island

The amazing story of a high school track star, who was saved by the Student Athlete Screening

Program at St. Francis Hospital, was featured on News 12, MSG Varsity, and in a two-page

spread in Newsday.

Tyler Capozzoli, now 17, admits to rolling his eyes when his mother, Deirdre, a nurse at St.

Francis, “dragged him in for a free heart screening.” But it turned out to be a lifesaving trip.

Sean Levchuck, M.D., Chairman of Pediatric Cardiology, detected a hole in Tyler’s heart and

repaired it using a catheter “the size of a cocktail straw.”

Now Tyler is running better than ever and has received a scholarship to run at Molloy

College. He says there will be no more

eye-rolling from him and had the follow-

ing advice for fellow student athletes. “It

was a lot more fun when I got back,” he

said. “Just go do it.”

For more information on the program

or to participate in a screening, call

(516) 629-2013.

Screenings are done on a first come,

first served basis. Pre-registration is

required prior to the date of the event.

St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center® has once again received the American HeartAssociation/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke Gold Plus QualityAchievement Award. The award recognizes the Hospital’s commitment and success in imple-menting excellent care for stroke patients, according to evidence-based guidelines.

To receive the award, St. Francis achieved a high adherence to all of Stroke QualityAchievement indicators required for the recognition. These measures include aggressive useof medications, cholesterol reducing drugs, and smoking cessation, all aimed at reducingdeath and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients.

“With a stroke, time is of the essence. This award demonstrates our ongoing commitment tobeing one of the top hospitals in the country for providing aggressive, proven stroke care,” saysJack Soterakis, M.D., Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs and Medical Director at St. FrancisHospital. “We will continue with our focus on providing care that has been shown in the med-ical literature to quickly and efficiently treat stroke patients with evidence-based protocols.”

The guidelines rely on the “teachable moment,” the time soon after a patient has had astroke, when they are most likely to listen to and follow their healthcare professionals’ advice.Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while stillin the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke. Customized educationmaterials are also made available to patients at the point of discharge, based on their individ-ual risk profiles. The take-away materials are written in an easy-to-understand format and areavailable in English and Spanish.

“The time is right for us to be focused on improving the quality of stroke care by using theseimportant guidelines. The number of acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for treatment isexpected to grow over the next decade due to increasing stroke incidence, better recognitionof symptoms, and a large aging population,” says Paul Wright, M.D., Director of the StrokeCenter at St. Francis Hospital.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is one ofthe leading causes of death and serious, long-term disability in the United States. On average,someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

Heartbeat Winter 2012-13 • St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ®4

In the News

St. Francis also gets an “A” in new national safety test by LeapfrogSt. Francis Hospital has received two majorkudos for being a safe place to stay. ConsumerReports ranked St. Francis #1 for patient safetyout of 81 medical centers it surveyed in the NewYork metro region. The hospital also receivedthe highest grade for safety in a new letterbased rating system by Leapfrog, a nonprofitorganization that ranks hospitals nationwide. St. Francis was one of only two hospitals inNassau to receive the perfect score.

Consumer Reports used four key criteria forits rankings: the prevalence of hospital acquiredinfections; the number of readmissions of heartattack, heart failure, and pneumonia patientswithin 30 days; whether patients were givenclear instructions upon discharge; and ifpatients were told the purpose of the drugs theywere prescribed and any possible side effectsthey might have.

Leapfrog relied on its own ratings as well asoutside sources including the Centers forMedicare and Medicaid Services and the JointCommission. Grades ranged from “A” to “F”based on 26 safety indicators. The criteriaincluded specific measures such as whether apatient received an antibiotic within an hour ofsurgery to more general standards like the suc-cess of “teamwork training and skill building”for the medical staff.

According to Leapfrog, over 400 people dieevery day from preventable hospital errors,which is the equivalent of a major jetliner crash-ing every day. The ratings service says its scoresempower patients to make informed decisionsabout the safety of their hospital care.

St. Francis Gets Top Grades forPatient Safety: Consumer ReportsRanks St. Francis the SafestHospital in NYC Metro Area

St. Francis Hospital Receives Gold Plus Achievement Award Again for Stroke Care

Paul Wright, M.D., Director of theStroke Center, (fourth from lowerright) Erin Markey, R.N., Coordinator(center), and their award winningspecialists in stroke care.

St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ® • Winter 2012-13 Heartbeat 5

St.Francis Hospital’s latest topnotch rankings by U.S.

News & World Report became the subject of numerous

television, radio, and print reports throughout the

metro area. For the sixth consecutive year, the Hospital

was recognized by U.S. News as being one of the best in the nation.

St. Francis was the only hospital on Long Island to be top ranked for cardiol-

ogy and heart surgery, rating #11 nationwide. It was once again ranked among

the best hospitals in the U.S. in gastroenterology, geriatrics, neurology and

neurosurgery, making it the only hospital on Long Island to be nationally rec-

ognized in four adult medical specialties.

“To receive this highly respected recognition for six years in a row is a testa-

ment to our ongoing commitment to providing excellence in patient care,”

says Alan D. Guerci, M.D., President and CEO. “It is a tribute to the skill and

dedication of our physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals and a

reflection of their constant focus on what is best for their patients.”

Overall, St. Francis was ranked #1 on Long Island, #4 in New York State,

and #5 in the New York Metro area, which includes Westchester and north-

ern New Jersey. It was also recognized by U.S. News as high performing

regionally in six specialties: cancer, ear, nose and throat, nephrology,

orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology.

According to U.S. News, nationally ranked hospitals “are the kinds of

medical centers that should be on your list when you need the best care.

They are where other hospitals send the toughest cases.” Of the 4,793 hos-

pitals surveyed in 16 adult medical specialties, St. Francis Hospital was one

of only 148 medical centers to be nationally recognized. To see the complete

list of hospital rankings log on to www.usnews.com/besthospitals.

St. Francis Captures Media Headlines for Its Latest U.S. News Rankings Once again, the hospital is top-rated both nationally and regionally as the best in its class

St. Francis Hospital,The HeartCenter® was recognized once againby the NewYork Statek Departmentof Healthf (NYSDOH)h for excel-lence in cardiac care. In its latestcardiac reports, St. Francis wasidentified as having one of thefhighest volumest and lowest mor-ttality rates in the state for PCIprocedures (coronary angioplastywith stent).h

St. Francis was one of justf fourthospitals in then state and thed onlyhospital on Longn Islandg withd risk-hadjusted mortalityd ratesy significantlybelow thew statewide average, and itsdcardiologists performed thed highest volumet on Longn Islandg andd thedsecond largestd caseloadt ind then state. One St. Francis cardiologist,Andrew Lituchy,w M.D., was recognized ford havingr ag risk-adjustedamortality ratey significantly belowy thew statewide average for non-remergency stenty procedures.t

PCI, or coronary angioplasty with ah stent, is a mainstay in thetreatment oft coronaryf artery disease.The goal of thisf minimally

New York State Recognizes St. Francis Hospital Again as a Leader in Cardiac Stent Treatment

invasive procedure is to openclogged arteries and to keep themopen with ah tiny wire mesh tubehcalled a stent. St. Francis is one ofthe most experiencedt and safestcenters in the nation for perform-ing these procedures.

“Our cardiologistsr and theird staffrwork hardk tod maintain then higheststandards in patientn care,”t said” AlandD. Guerci, M.D., President andtCEO of St.f Francis Hospital, TheHeart Centert ®. “That ist why theyy areyconsistently recognizedy ford theirroutstanding results.g While we arevery proudy ofd theirf accomplish-r

ments, it ist our patientsr who are the real winners.”In ann earliern reportr thist year, St. Francis Hospital was also recog-

nized ford itsr outstanding successg in performingn PCIg procedures andfor havingr theg largest caseloadt ond Longn Island.g

Percutaneous Coronarys Interventionsy (PCI)s in NewYorkw State,k 2008-2010,is published byd they NewYorkw Statek Department oft Healthf andh cand benfound ond theirn website.r

Richard Shlofmitz, M.D., Chairman ofCardiology, has helped the Cath Lab of St. Francis Hospital become one ofthe busiest and safest facilities in NewYork state.

Andrew Lituchy, M.D., was recognizedfor having one of the lowest a risk-adjusted mortality rates in the state.

Heartbeat Winter 2012-13 • St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ®6

Q&A

or George Petrossian, M.D., it is a very busy time. As the Director ofInterventional Cardiovascular Procedures and a 20-year veteran atSt. Francis, Dr. Petrossian was the first physician on Long Island to

perform both carotid artery stenting and transcatheter aortic valve implan-tation. Both procedures are at the leading edge of interventional cardiologyand are widely viewed as promising minimally-invasive alternatives to traditional open surgery. Consistently recognized by Castle Connolly as oneof the “Best Doctors” in the New York metro area and the U.S., he is part ofseveral ongoing national clinical trials at St. Francis, including the two-year-old study investigating the Medtronic CoreValve, a groundbreakingcatheter-based system for aortic valve replacement. He works with an outstanding clinical team that includes Chairman of Cardiothoracic andVascular Surgery and co-principal investigator Newell Robinson, M.D.,interventional cardiologist Andrew Berke, M.D, and cardiothoracic surgeonRoberto Colangelo, M.D.

Heartbeat: YoYY u woww rk exee txx ensivevv lyll with minimallyll invavv sivevv devee ices such as

Corerr Ve aVV lvll evv . Howoo arerr these devee ices rerr vee ovv lutionizing cardrr iac carerr ?

Dr. Petrossian: The CoreVaVV lvll e is an innovavv tive treatment foff r severe aortic

stenosis, a condition where the heart’s’’ main vavv lvll e does not open or close

properly.yy If leftff untreated, the condition can become lifeff threatening. One

of the main ways of treating this condition is to replace the aortic vavv lvll e

through open heart surgr eryrr ,yy but there are many patients who cannot with-

stand the impact and possible complications of surgrr eryrr ,yy so unfoff rtunately

their options are veryrr limited.

The CoreVaVV lvll e promises to change all that. It is an artififf cial aortic heart

vavv lvll e attached to a wire frff ame that is guided by a thin, flff exible tube called

a catheter up into the heart. Once in the proper position, we expand the

wire frff ame, allowing the new aortic vavv lvll e to open and begin to fuff nction

properly.yy We call this TATT VAA I, or transcatheter aortic vavv lvll e transplantation,

and we have been working on this with patients since FeFF bruaryrr 2011.

In the CoreVaVV lvll e trial we foff cus on two groups of patients. The fiff rsrr t con-

sists of patients considered essentially inoperable or at extxx reme risk foff r

conventional aortic vavv lvll e surgr eryrr .yy If these patients qualifyff foff r the trial and

meet the inclusion criteria, they are offff eff red the CoreVaVV lvll e as the therapeu-

tic option.

The second group we are studying is not quite as ill and although they

have high risk, they’re potentially operable. This group is randomized so

that half of them are treated with CoreVaVV lvll e, while the other half receives

conventional aortic vavv lvll e surgr eryrr .yy Aftff er the trial is fiff nished in a feff w months,

we’re looking to continue treating those types of patients, which the FDA

will allow,ww until it’s’’ approved, which could be a year and a half away.yy

AtAA the same time, we will soon be assessing another option called the

Edwards VaVV lvll e. It is somewhat largr er and has been approved by the FDA

foff r use in extxx reme risk, inoperable patients. We treated our fiff rsrr t patient this

past faff ll.

We also hope to be one of the sites chosen foff r a new clinical trial with

the CoreVaVV lvll e, called Sur TATT VAA I, a randomized trial comparing conventional

aortic vavv lvll e surgr eryrr with the transcatheter vavv lvll e in patients who are inter-

mediate in risk. Instead of a risk of 15 percent, these would be patients in

the 4 to 10 percent risk range. It’s’ excxx iting because it will look at using this

technologygg in more and more of the patient population. That trial is going

to be at about 50 to 75 sites between Europe, the U.S., and Canada, and

we’re hoping St. Francis is chosen as one of them.

An Alternative to Open-Heart SurgeryHeartbeat: Do yoyy u think Corerr Ve aVV lvll evv , the Edwardrr s VaVV lvll evv , and TATT VAA I will

changegg the scope of trerr ataa ing aortrr ic disease in the nexee txx sevee evv rarr l yeyy arsrr ?

Dr. Petrossian: I think they will. The technologygg is amazing and it’s’’ only

going to get better,rr but there are still hurdles that we have to clear.rr FoFF r

example, we have to minimize the risk of stroke. These patients are high

risk and elderly,yy and none of them want surgr eryrr .yy They want this catheter-rr

delivered vavv lvll e. But the reality is that we have to be able to prove that the

therapies – open heart surgrr eryrr versrr us the catheter-rr delivered vavv lvll e – are

equivavv lent in terms of their results.

The Edwards VaVV lvll e demonstrates equivavv lence in terms of survrr ivavv l in the

New Innovations in InterventionalCardiovascular Medicine

FGeorge Petrossian, M.D., provides a behind-the-scenes look at leading-edge clinical trials

St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ® • Winter 2012-013 Heartbeat7

verall outcome a year aftff er the procedure, but there is still the concern

about the risk of stroke. We don’t have our data frff om CoreVaVV lvll e yet, but if

it foff llows suit, then our challenge will be incorporating new technologies

to lower that risk of stroke so that it’s’’ the therapy of choice down the

road. I believe that will happen.

Heartbeat: YoYY u arerr also a partrr of SySS mplicitytt ,yy an exee cxx iting nataa ional trial

thataa offff eff rsrr hope foff r pataa ientstt with uncontrorr lled highg blood prerr ssurerr .

Whataa is the purpose of this study?y

Dr. Petrossian: YeYY s, I’m working on the Symplicity or Hypertension 3 trial

with my co-principal investigator,rr Richard Shlofmff itz, M.D., and co-investi-

gatorsrr , Ezra Deutsch, M.D., Paul LeLL e, M.D., and Andrew Lituchy,yy M.D. The

trial lookskk at patients who have chronic, uncontrolled high blood pres-

sure. Patients need to be on at least three blood pressure medications,

one of which is a diuretic or a water pill, and they have to be on the maxaa i-

mum dose that they will tolerate. They have to have other faff ctorsrr such as

pretty good kidney fuff nction and they cannot be on dialysis, at least foff r

the purposes of this trial.

This is a randomized trial and looks at whether using radiofrff equency

ablation, or the precise use of high frff equency energygg in the renal arter-

ies, can reduce blood pressure. Radiofrff equency ablation is a technique

used everyday at St. Francis by electrophysiologists to burn very spe-

cififf c segments in the heart to interrupt electrical circuits and cure

patients who have arrhythmias or palpitations. So this technologygg is

very useful.

The sympathetic nervrr ous system is overactive in many patients with

hypertension and the renal arteries are wrapped by many sympathetic

nervrr es. By using special cathetersrr that can deliver radiofrff equency abla-

tions or burns in the renal arteries, we can interrupt the circuits in the

sympathetic nervrr es that are wrapped around the renal arteries and hope-

fuff lly reduce blood pressure.

In the preliminaryrr trials that have been done in 200 to 300 patients, at

six months there was a 30 millimeter reduction in systolic blood pressure,

and approxoo imately an 11 millimeter reduction in diastolic blood pressure.

It’s’ a veryrr promising and excxx iting step.

Minimizing Risk of StrokeHeartbeat: TeTT ll us about the other peripherarr l vavv scular woww rk yoyy u’v’’ evv been

doing ataa St. FrFF arr ncis.

Dr. Petrossian: A long-standing area of interest of mine is carotid arteryrr

stenting, which I have been doing foff r 15 yearsrr . The carotid arteries are in

the leftff and right side of the neck, and they are important because they

carryrr blood to and frff om the brain. Just as in the coronaryrr arteries, choles-

terol and plaque can build up and foff rm blockages. These blockages can

put patients at risk foff r stroke. One of the traditional treatments foff r carotid

arteryrr blockages is carotid endarterectomy,yy which is surgr eryrr to remove the

blockage. The stenting technique allows the patient to avoid surgrr eryrr and

has demonstrated great effff eff ctiveness in clinical trials.

We’v’ e participated in many of these national trials, such as ACAA T I, which

lookskk at carotid stenting versrr us carotid endarterectomy in low surgrr ical risk

patients. We have another registryrr called the Freedom TrTT ial which is looking

at carotid stenting in high surgr ical risk patients.

I am also the principal investigator of another faff scinating trial called

IN.PAPP CAA T,TT with co-investigatorsrr Dr.rr Deutsch, Patrick DePippo, M.D., Richard

Matano, M.D., and William Chung, M.D., which lookskk at using drug-eluting

balloons to open up blockages in the arteries of the leg. Since 2003, drug

eluting stents have been used to open up blockages in the coronaryrr arter-

ies. These stents are thin wire mesh tubes implanted by a catheter.rr They

hold open the arteries and drugsgg embedded in the stents help to prevent a

blockage frff om returning.

In the legsgg , stents in the thigh arteryrr ,yy called the superfiff cial feff moral arter-

ies (S(( FAFF )AA , have been somewhat of an improvement over balloon therapy

and balloon angioplasty,yy but not to the same extxx ent as in the heart. That

probably has to do with the combination of the lengtgg h of the disease

involvll ed, as well as the physics and the torsrr ion involvll ed. And sometimes we

get some frff actures in the stents, which has been somewhat disappointing.

So IN.PAPP CAA T lookskk at the use of a drug-eluting balloon in the SFAFF . The bal-

loon is inflff ated and a drug called Paclitaxaa exx l is emitted or eluted over a two

minute period, and then the balloon is removed and the patient can go

home. The attractive feff ature is that there’s’’ no metal leftff behind.

Looking Toward the FutureHeartbeat: Whataa else arerr yoyy u woww rkikk ng on in the cataa h lab?

Dr. Petrossian: We’re going to be starting a procedure in the cath lab called

the Lariat to tryrr to reduce the risk of stroke in patients who can’t take blood

thinnersrr and have atrial fiff brillation. The procedure is a faff irly sophisticated

way of being able to put a suture around a portion of the leftff atrial

appendage, an upper chamber of the heart. Through a combination of two

cathetersrr , one placed in the groin and one placed in the chest, just below

the breastbone, we can access this region and put the suture in without sur-

geryrr .yy We just successfuff lly treated our fiff rsrr t patient.

Heartbeat: Whataa do yoyy u think the fuff turerr lookskk likekk ataa St. FrFF arr ncis? Whataa is

coming dowoo n the pipeline?

Dr. Petrossian: I think the fuff ture is amazingly bright. The technologygg is

unbelievavv ble and it is wonderfuff l to have the privilege of working at St.

Francis and to be a part of bringing these new technological developments

to our patients.

Heartbeat Winter 2012-13 • St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ®8

Cover Story

St. Francis Hospital Unveils First“Green ER” on Long IslandBishop William F. Murphy Blesses Revamped Facility

Going Green: Bishop William F. Murphy (c.) of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, blesses the first “Green ER” on Long Island- the newly renovated, eco-friendly Emergency Department at St. Francis Hospital.

A Green Ribbon Panel: Bishop Murphy cuts the ribbon along with (from left to right): Alan D. Guerci, M.D., President & CEO of St. Francis Hospital; Peter Quick, Chairman of the Board of St. Francis Hospital; Lawrence E. McManus,President & CEO of CHS; and Richard J.J. Sullivan, Chairman of the Board of CHS.

St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ® • Winter 2012-13 Heartbeat9

cross the region, the increasing demand for emergency

medical care has prompted many hospitals to expand

and upgrade their emergency departments. When the time came

for St. Francis Hospital to renovate its ER, in addition to creating a

facility with an eye on comfort, care, and state-of-the-art lifesaving

tools, the Hospital also saw an opportunity for environmental

stewardship.

A

After years of careful planning, St. Francis Hospital took the wraps off the Island’s first

“green emergency room” with an official ribbon cutting by the Most Reverend William F.

Murphy, Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Now that the renovations have been

completed, the Hospital expects to obtain Silver LEED Certification – a step above the

standard certification for green spaces.

LEED, which stands for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, provides a

Green Building Rating System™ that is a third-party certification program. It serves as a

benchmark for organizations, such as St. Francis, seeking to design, construct, and oper-

ate high performance green facilities.

“We place a great deal of emphasis on the environment of care, and going green in our

new ER is just a natural reflection of our commitment to the community, our patients, and

the heritage of St. Francis,” says Alan D. Guerci, M.D., President & CEO.

Dedicated as The Yvette and Joel Mallah Emergency Department, this new facility rep-

resents another milestone – the hospital’s first construction project fully funded by phi-

lanthropy. Donors contributed more than $8 million in support of the expansion. Many

were inspired by the opportunity to give back to the community as well as to honor the

caregivers who made a difference in their lives.

State-of-the Art SettingThe total renovation dramatically improves the interior of the Hospital’s emergency room,

which saw a nearly 21 percent increase in visitors in the last five years. Featuring an

increase of over 6,000 square feet, negative pressure private and semi-private rooms, and

electrically opaquing “privacy glass” the new construction provides state-of-the-art treat-

ment space. The eco-conscious design also includes using environmentally sustainable

materials for walls and floors, expanding the Hospital’s recycling program, and implementing a series of

energy conserving measures to reduce electrical demand.

“Now that our new ER is complete, we can provide our patients with architecture and space that are as

good as our medical care,” says Mark Hoornstra, M.D., Chairman of Emergency Medicine. Debris from all

of the renovations was recycled when possible and construction materials were provided from local com-

panies to reduce pollution associated with truck or rail transportation. The design also includes water-

saving plumbing fixtures and an outdoor bike rack for employees who want to pedal instead of putting

their feet to the metal to meet LEED requirements for staying green.

Now You See Them: Mark Hoornstra, M.D. Chairman ofEmergency Medicine, and members of the ER’s nursing team,demonstrate how eco-conscious, opaquing glass gives patientsinstant privacy.

Heartbeat Winter 2012-13 • St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ®10

New Advances in Cardiac Research

St. Francis Hospital Takes Part in Landmark Study for Treating Hard to Control HypertensionHeart Center Enrolls First Person on Long Island to Test New Treatment for Stubbornly High Blood Pressure

lorence Francillon has struggled with uncontrollably high

blood pressure foff r 20 yearsrr – so severe that she has been

on a half dozen medications at a time to no avavv il. The situa-

tion culminated when her pressure reached 240/141mmHg

and Florence, a registered nursrr e, had to check hersrr elf into the emergr ency

room at work aftff er her nose bled foff r more than an hour.rr But now there is

new hope foff r the RN frff om Deer Park, whose younger sister suffff eff red a

stroke frff om the same condition. Florence is taking part in a major nation-

wide study that could revolutionize the way treatment-resistant high

blood pressure is controlled.

Florence is the fiff rst participant on Long Island to enroll in the

Symplicity HTN-3 study.yy The national trial relies on a procedure called

renal denervation to treat symptoms that pose a serious health threat to

nearly six million Americans and 100 million people worldwide. Using a

minimally invasive, catheter-rr based device developed by Medtronic,

physicians use low-power radiofrff equency energygg to deactivate the

nerves in the walls of the arteries leading to the kidneys, blocking their

ability to raise blood pressure.

“A“ sAA a physician, it can be extxx remely frff ustrating to see a patient who is

not responding to medication despite all the diffff eff rent combinations we

have tried,” says Georgr e Petrossian, M.D., Co-Principal Investigator and

Director of Intervrr entional Cardiac Procedures at St. Francis Hospital. “Now

we’re exploring an excxx iting investigational device that may help control

severe hypertension when drugsgg , diet and exexx rcise simply aren’t enough,”

adds Dr.rr Petrossian, who is collaborating with Richard Shlofmff itz, M.D., Co-

Principal Investigator and Chairman of Cardiologygg ,yy and Ezra Deutsch, M.D.,

who refeff rred Florence to the trial.

ToTT qualifyff foff r the clinical study,yy a patient must havaa evv an avaa evv rarr gegg sysyy tolic

blood prerr ssurerr of 160 mmHg and be on a combination of threrr e or morerr anti-

hypertrr ensivevv medications. Since the trial is rarr ndomized, patients do not know

if they arerr being trerr ated with the actcc ual device or undergrr ogg ing a placebo prorr -

cedurerr . Howevevv r,rr aftff er six months of foff llow-up, patients in the placebo grorr up

will be offff eff rerr d the rarr diofrff err quencycc trerr atment if they so choose and qualifyff .yy So

partrr icipants such as Florerr nce say it is wortrr h taking a chance.

“I am scared that I could wake up with a stroke like my sister.rr She sur-

vived but was partially paralyzed foff r six months,” says the working moth-

er of two. “This gives me hope that my blood pressure could be normal

and I wouldn’t have to check it three to foff ur times a day.yy”

ToTT fiff nd out more about participating in the study,yy call: (516)6 562-6790.

Or visit wwww www .ww syss mplifyff bptrial.com foff r more infoff rmation about the study.yy

F

Co-Principal Investigator George Petrossian, M.D., (left), Director of Interventional Cardiac Procedures, and Ezra Deutsch, M.D., referring physician, congratulate Florence Francillon for being thefirst Long Islander to participate in the Symplicity study.

St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ® • Winter 2012-13 Heartbeat 11

St. Francis Study on Blood Thinners Could Change Protocols for Treating Stent Patients

research study ledy by Richardy Shlofmitz, M.D., Chairman of Cardiologyf aty St.t Francis

Hospital, could offer newr hopew for stentr patientst who have a genetic resistancec to

the popular bloodr thinner Plavix.r Nearly ay third of patientsf who are prescribed a

blood thinner tor prevent heartt attackt ork strokesr are resistant tot Plavix. By usingy ag

simple blood test calledt VerifyNow, Dr. Shlofmitz is able to immediately determiney if af patient’s

platelets are responding tog the drug. If theyf arey not, he prescribes an alternative blood thinner

called Effient. After studyingr theg alternative drug’s effects through his research, the top-ranked

interventional cardiologistl sayst he now usesw it fort mostr patients,t

“because it workst all thel time.”

However, the St. Francis physician anticipates that insurance

companies won’t be so quick tok embrace his recommendation, now

that a cheaper, generic version of Plavixf isx available and costs con-

siderably less than Effient. He hopes that the results of thef quick

test will help to convince insurers of thef benefits. “I tell my patients

that the risk isk not worth taking, especially if it’sf shown that they

are resistant to a certain drug,” he adds.

Dr. Shlofmitz has already presented his findings at medical con-

ferences throughout the country and his recommendations have gained media attention. He

expects to publish the results of hisf study in 2013 and hopes that it will help set new, nation-

wide protocols for Cathr Labs in the U.S.

AHelp Unlock the Mysteries of the HeartBecome a Research Volunteer

St. Francis Hospital is taking part in two

other major, national clinical trials that

could revolutionize the treatment of heart

disease. We are currently recruiting

patients for the following studies:

• CoreValve ® U.S. Pivotal Trial - St. Francis

is now recruiting patients for a trial aimed

at examining a revolutionary alternative to

open heart surgery for the repair of aortic

stenosis. This minimally invasive approach

to treating the condition allows some

patients to bypass open-heart surgery. In

order to qualify, patients must be consid-

ered high risk for undergoing conventional

open heart surgery or not be considered a

surgical candidate.

• Orbit II - St. Francis physicians are evalu-

ating a device designed for treating severe-

ly calcified lesions in coronary arteries. The

minimally invasive device acts like a roto-

rooter to widen narrowed arteries that have

excess calcification allowing for optimal

stent placement.

To find out more about a particular study or

to see if you are eligible to participate in it,

please call (516) 562-6790.

The five St. Francis physicians who are taking part in what could be a pivotal study are from (l. to r.):

Principal Investigator George Petrossian, M.D., and co-investigators Richard Matano, M.D., Ezra Deutsch,

M.D., William Chung, M.D., and Patrick DePippo, M.D., (not pictured).

A Study That Could Have a Big “IN.PACT” on Patients with Peripheral Vascular DiseaseSt. Francis Hospital is the only hospital on Long Island participating in the IN.PACT SFA II

Study. This national, randomized study , sponsored by Medtronic, Inc., is designed to

evaluate the use of drug-eluting balloons to open up blockages in the arteries of the

legs. The findings of this trial could offer a new alternative to standard balloon angioplas-

ty for people with peripheral vascular disease.

The study is currently enrolling subjects. Please call (516) 562-6790 for more information.

Heartbeat Winter 2012-13 • St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ®12

James Dixon knows talent when he sees it. For more than 25 years, he has managed the

careers of many well-known comedians andactors. In between recent trips to theDemocratic and Republican national conven-tions with clients Jon Stewart and StephenColbert, and being on hand for Jimmy Kimmel’shosting spot at the Primetime Emmy® Awards,James explained how he and his wife Tanjafound their hospital of choice.

“We did our homework and knew that St.Francis Hospital ranked among the best hospi-tals in the country,” said James, the owner ofDixon Talent, Inc. “And when we walkedthrough the doors and began meeting the doc-tors, nurses and other staff members, we wereimpressed with the level of talent – all within a few minutes from home. It wasapparent almost immediately that there was no need to go anywhere else.”

That sentiment echoes the family’s decision to remain firmly planted onLong Island for the last 20 years. Tanja and James knew that a move to theWest Coast was a logical next step for the talent management company hefounded in 2001, after launching his career at the William Morris Agency in themid-1980s.

But when it came to raising their three daughters, they decided to call

Giving Back

The year 2011r marked1 the completion of St.f Francis largests capitalt campaign,l withmore than $70.3 million raised for ther hospital’s Masters Facilitiesr Plan.s

The generosity ofy hundredsf ofs gratefulf patientsl ands friends fars surpassedr theoriginal fundraisingl goalg ofl $30f million0 and helped to support at seconda phase ofthe MFP whichP included the recently completedy Emergency Departmenty –t the– hos-pital’s firsts buildingt projectg tot be fully fundedy by philanthropy.y

Since the campaign began in 2005, this supports hast mades possible:• The Nancy andy Frederick DeMatteisk Pavilion,s site of twof new medical-surgicalwunits featurings privateg and semi-private rooms ands an intensive care unit andt anintermediate care unit.• Long Island’sg firsts high-definitiont operating rooms,g with fourteen new suitesw insthe DeMatteis Pavilions and six inx the Heart Center.t Minimally invasivey technologyand hybrid functionality supporty thet hospital’s highs surgical caseloadl and providethe latest optionst ins care for patients.r As as result,a the hospital hasl strengtheneds itscardiac specialtyc andy expanded several otherl surgicalr specialties,l including ortho-gpedics ands neurology.• An expanded cardiac catheterizationc lab, which now includesw as newa stagingw andgrecovery unit.y• Major renovationsr tos the Emergency Department,y including patientg roomst withssolid walls ands privacy glass,y a dedicateda imaging suite,g an urgent caret unit andt anexpanded reception area.• The new non-invasivew imaging center,g featuring theg area’s firsts Cardiact PET/CTcscanner.

Manhasset home. With their two eldest now incollege and the youngest just a few years awayfrom graduating high school, the couple is stillplanting roots in the area.

Their eagerness to get involved with localcauses recently led Tanja and James back toSt. Francis – this time not as patients. A chancemeeting at their daughters’ school with St.Francis Chairman of the Board Peter Quick ledto a tour of the hospital’s new high-definitionoperating rooms and non-invasive imagingcenter with Alan D. Guerci, M.D., St. FrancisPresident & CEO.

“We were impressed once again,” Jamesrecalls of his family’s decision to make a majorgift in support of the hospital. “Time moves so

quickly with technology and you have to keep up with advances in order toremain the best. St. Francis has made a real commitment to staying ahead ofthe curve, and that’s where we wanted to make our investment.”

The Dixons will be recognized for their outstanding support of the HeartCenter’s recently-completed renovations during the hospital’s annual gala onNovember 17. As honorees of the Moroccan-themed evening at RXR Plaza,Tanja and James said they expect to feel right at home, surrounded by thesame talent that drew them in.

Meet the DixonsFinding Talent Close to Home

• The renovation of patientf unitst ins the Heart Center.t• Expanded visitor andr staff parking,f with direct andt covered access tos patientregistration.• New gardensw ands meditation areas providings opportunitiesg fors relaxationr andreflection for patients,r visitors ands staff.

Already, thousands ofs patientsf haves benefited from these advances ands the gen-erosity ofy thef patients ands families whos came before them. Additional givingl oppor-gtunities ares available to help ensurep this world-classs cares for generationsr tos come.For morer information, please call (516)l 705-6655.

Campaign Concludes with $70.3 Million Raised

James and Tanja Dixon

Alan D. Guerci, M.D., President and CEO of SFH (right), and Peter Quick, Board Chair (left), with ChrisPascucci, Campaign Chair (center), at the 2011 Roaring 20s Gala.

St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ® • Winter 2012-13 Heartbeat 13

manyr Newy Yorkers,wOctober ofr 1955f will alwayslbe rememberede asd thes timeethe Dodgerse finallys wony thenWorld Seriesd –s their– onlyr suchytriumph inh Brooklyn.n ForCharles Greiner,s Octoberof 1955f marked hisd rebirths –hright heret ate St.t FrancisHospital.

At thet agee ofe 7,f Charles developeds rheumaticd fever.c By they springe ofg1955, at 12t years-old withd hish bodys swolleny fromn edema,m Charles begansexperiencing majorg organr failure,n was seldoms conscious,m and wasd ins andn outdof severalf hospitalsl withouts mucht improvement.h His parentss weres tolde todbegin thinkingn aboutg funeralt arrangements,l as thes doctorse felts het had,e at thetmost, a couplea ofe daysf tos live.o

It wast ats thist points thatt Charlest wass transferreds tod St.o Francis Hospitals andlby earlyy October,y when, Johnnyn Podresy wass pitchings theg clinchinge gameg forethe Dodgerse ats Yankeet Stadium,e Charles’, health hadh improvedd enoughd thath hetremembers celebrationss fors ther Dodgerse championships andp ford hisr 13ths birth-hday –y a– milestonea thate 10t weeks0 earliers nobodyr thoughty he’dt reach!d

In Septembern ofr 1964,f Charles mets hist wifes Anitae anda theyd werey marriedefour yearsr later.s They havey threee childrene andn threed grandchildren.e Charlesrecently retiredy afterd ar longa andg successfuld careerl asr as constructiona costn ana-tlyst andt isd happys andy veryd healthy.y

Today, Charles doesn’ts misst ans opportunityn toy recounto howt St.w FrancisHospital savedl hisd life.s “They tooky mek ine andn savedd myd lifey whene othersn hadsgiven up,”n he” says.e “Beyond theird extraordinaryr medicaly care,l they providedywarm, loving care,g day aftery day.r Not fort oner momente int then approximate-ely 11y months thats It wasI ats St.t Francis dids Id feelI unloved,l unimportant, orthat It wasI as burdena inn anyn way.y How manyw placesy coulds provided alle ofl that?”f

Fifty-seven yearsn later,s Charles, stills championsl thes caree hee receivede atd St.tFrancis. He notes,e “I, haveI contributede tod theo St.e Francis Hospitals Foundationlfor 20r years0 ands haved namede itd int myn will.y I oweI St.e Francis Hospitals solmuch, it, cant nevern ber repaid.”e Here ate St.t Francis Hospital,s Charles,, and,many gratefuly patientsl likes hime arem thee reale champions.l Their generosityrensures thats world-classt medicals care,l like, thate receivedt byd Charlesy sos manyoyears ago,s will, continuel toe beo providede ford futurer generations.e

For morer informatione aboutn makingt ag gifta tot St.o Francis Hospital:sContact: Meryl CosentinolPhone: (516) 705-6652 E-Mail: meryl.cosentino@chsli.org

Giving Back

By overcoming her own fears, volunteer Gloria Pitt discovered the art of vanquishing it in others

Three times a week, a little after dawn, a taxicab picks up 87-year-old Gloria Pitt from herhome in Port Washington and brings her toSt. Francis Hospital. Her eyesight is failingher, a result of macular degeneration, andshe can no longer drive herself. However,she comes to the Hospital not as a patient,but as a volunteer, and she has logged inalmost 13,000 hours in the 25 years thatshe’s donated her time to St. Francis.

Among staff and other volunteers, she isplayfully known as “The General” because ofthe 26 gold “Volunteer Award Bars” hangingvertically from the collar of her green volun-

teer jacket, each displaying the amount of hours she’s logged. She wears thepins because she is proud of her time at St. Francis, and also as a conversationpiece for patients. “Even though I get teased a lot for wearing so many pins, Iwear them for the elderly patients,” she says. “They come in, they’re frightened,and they don’t have anyone with them because their kids are scattered all overthe country like mine are. The only way to get them not to be frightened is totalk to them, and sometimes they don’t want to talk. But sooner or later theynotice my pins and ask, ‘Hey, what’s that?’ and a conversation is started.”

A little sneaky? “Yes,” she admits, “but very worth it!” Gloria volunteers in the endoscopy unit, giving patients warm blankets, tying

their hospital gowns for them, telling jokes to nervous patients, or just holdingtheir hands before a procedure to calm them. She knows the feeling of beingafraid of hospitals all too well. At the age of three, without the use of any anes-thesia, doctors performed surgery on her ears to treat an abscess.

Many years later, as an adult, she could not figure out why she was so terrified ofgoing to the dentist or to the doctor. She had blocked out the terrible experience,but then several years ago, she had an epiphany and remembered her fear. Afterthat, she decided that she wanted to help others overcome their fear. “I found thatan awful lot of people have had very bad experiences while they were young, likeme, and the experience has stayed with them all their lives, for which they blamethemselves. But I’ve set out to help those people. To let them know that everythingwill be fine,” she says. “I love when people come back and say I’m so glad I metyou, I’m not afraid anymore. I get pleasure out of seeing someone not being afraidanymore. Anytime I can help dull that fear, I feel a big plus in my life.”

Her poor eyesight does not deter her. Because she’s been at the Hospital forso long, she knows the corridors like the back of her hand. “My daughterwanted me to move to D.C. to be closer to her. She told me that I could volun-teer at a hospital down there,” she says. “I told her that I can walk through St.Francis with my eyes closed because I’ve been here for 25 years. But if I wentto a new hospital they’d think I was crazy to volunteer at a place I’ve neverbeen before, at my age, while going blind. I’d be tripping over things, fallingdown stairs, and God knows what else. I told her I think I have to stay here.God wants me to stay here.”

Volunteer ProfileThe Loyal One

Charles and Anita Greiner

A Real Champion for St. Francis Hospital

Gloria’s loyalty to St. Francis Hospital speaks volumes. “I’ve been very, verylucky. The people at St. Francis are loving and caring and that’s what makes it sowonderful to work here,” she says. “St. Francis has filled my life with somethingthat I feel so positive and so good about, and that’s helping others. It’s the rea-son I’m still breathing. I love what I do and I pray to God that I have enoughstrength to do it until I’m too old to walk.”

Welcome Back

Pearl Parker can never forget the pain sheexperienced as a child–the high fever andterrible leg cramps that made it difficult forher to walk. After being taken to HarlemHospital at the age of four and diagnosedwith rheumatic fever from a viral infection,Pearl was sent to the St. Francis Sanatoriumwhere she spent two years of her childhoodfrom 1955 to 1957.

“I’ve never told anyone this, but at the timemy father was making $58 a week and mymother was making $38,” says Pearl, theyoungest of seven children whose parentsemigrated to the U.S. from the Caribbean. “Icould never understand how they had thegood fortune to get me such great care.”

Pearl still remembers her roommate at theSanatorium, the statue of St. Francis, andpictures of singer Perry Como with theSisters at Christmas time. Whenever shehears the late, popular singer’s voice it stillhas a soothing effect.

Every Sunday, Pearl’s family made an emo-tional trek from their walk-up apartment inWashington Heights to Long Island. Theytook three subways and a bus for a trip thatcould take more than three hours each way.“If we missed the bus because of bad weath-er, we would have to wait an hour in the rainor snow for the next one,” says her sisterIona, who remembers her entire family mak-ing the weekly journey despite limitedmeans. “Pearl was the baby, so she was ourgem. I remember her crying and wavinggood-bye to us, but we always knew shewas in good hands.”

“Everyday I feel so fortunate and blessed,”says Pearl who recites the prayer of St.Francis on a daily basis. Her fond memoriesand good fortune inspired the 61-year-oldhome health caregiver to make the trip fromAtlanta, Georgia, to visit the place where sherecuperated as a child. “It was just some-thing I needed to do–the pilgrimage of mylife. I owe my heart to St. Francis.”

Former Patient’s Pilgrimage Culminates in Sentimental Journey to St. Francis

A Heartfelt Homecoming: Pearl Parker (c.) surrounded by sisters Iona Stuart (l.) and Ruby Barnes (r.) made an emotional trip from Georgia to Long Island to visit the place where she spent two years of her childhood in the 1950’s– the site of the former St. Francis Sanatorium.

Heartbeat Winter 2012-13 • St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ®14

Vital Signs

In December, St. Francis became the second CHS hospital to launchan electronic medical records system (EMR) as part of an initiativecalled CHS eHealth. St. Francis joins St. Catherine of Siena MedicalCenter and a growing number of hospitals nationwide to go com-pletely electronic. Eventually all CHS hospitals will implement theEMR system, developed by Epic, an industry leader, and physiciansare also participating in this initiative.

Better Information for Better HealthThe new electronic medical record system (EMR) provides instantaccess to information about a patient’s current medical conditions,medications, test results, and allergies, both for the patient and his orher medical team. For patients, there are many benefits, including having their medical history, medications, and treatment records all inone place, having fewer forms to fill out in the future, and with theirauthorization, knowing that their healthcare team will have secure,immediate access to their medical records, anytime, anywhere.

The new system reflects the Hospital’s continuing commitmentto excellence in patient care and safety.

“Electronic medical records have the potential to transform theway medicine is practiced, with great benefits for physicians andtheir patients,” says Jack Soterakis, M.D., Senior Vice President,Medical Affairs and Medical Director at St. Francis. “Just one example

St. Francis LaunchesElectronic Medical Records System

St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ® • Winter 2012-13 Heartbeat15

is our ability to have a patient’s hospital charts and private practicerecords combined and immediately available, so that physicians andother clinical staff will be able to better coordinate care.”

MyChart Puts Records in Patients’ HandsThrough a web-based application, called MyChart, the system willalso provide patients with secure access to their medical recordsfrom the comfort of home, allergy and drug interaction alerts,reminders of doctor’s instructions, upcoming procedures, follow-up appointments – and much more. MyChart will be available inmany of the Hospital’s ambulatory locations and practices.

While not all hospitals use the Epic EMR, virtually all in theregion participate in Healthix™, connecting more than 100 facili-ties, 7 million patients and nearly 4,000 clinicians in the downstateNew York area and integrating patient records in full compliancewith the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act(HIPAA). Epic’s Care Everywhere provides a framework for interop-erability between healthcare systems around the world so clinicians have the information they need, whether from anotherEpic system, a non-Epic EMR complying with industry standards,or directly from the patient.

For more information about CHS eHealth and the Epic EMR system, visit www.stfrancisheartcenter.com.

Heartbeat Winter 2012-13 • St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ®16

Vital SignsThe Latest Tools in the Best Hands forDiagnosing and Treating GI Disease

The GI Experts: Anthony Celifarco, M.D., (forefront) Director of Gastroenterology, and membersof his topnotch medical team (l. to r.) Cynthia Colosimo, R.N., Caryl Ann Hadjiyane, M.D.,Eugene Bonapace, M.D., Frederick Gandolfo, M.D., and Dean Pappas, M.D.

hour. It uses endoscopy (insertion of a probe into a hollow organ) com-bined withtt ultrtt asound, which relies on ultrtt asonic sound wavaa es, to get acomplete image of thtt e inside and outside of organs. Not only can it beused to visualize thtt e walls of thtt e esophagus, stomach, and rectutt m, but itgives a much clearer pictutt re of thtt e pancreas which us typically harder tosee withtt convnn entional imaging techniques.

“Endoscopic ultrtt asounuu d is a very importanaa t tool foff r lookikk ngn ataa lesions ofthtt e GI trtt act. It is especialaa lyll valaa uaba le foff r assessingn smalaa l lesions of thtt e panaa crcc easanaa d foff r detectitt ngn thtt e possibi le spread of varaa ious tutt muu ors to thtt e lyll myy ph nodes,”sayaa s Dr.rr Celifaff raa co. “Thrhh ougu hgg fiff ne needle aspirataa itt on weww canaa thtt en examaa ine thtt ihh stitt ssue unuu der a micrcc oscope to determine if it is canaa cerous or not.”

St. Francis Hospital was recently rated one of thtt e nation’s top hospitalsfoff r gastrtt oenterology and thtt e top hospital on Long Island in thtt is fiff eld foff rgood reason.The hospital not only boasts thtt e best experts in thtt is medicalspecialty,yy it also has some of thtt e latest tools foff r diagnosing and trtt eatinggastrtt ointestinal (GI) diseases.

This year,rr our gastrtt oenterologists began using a procedure called Haloradiofrff equency aba lation to trtt eat Barrett’s esophagus, a condition thtt atcould lead to esophageal cancer.They also are using a minimally invnn asiveprocedure called endoscopic ultrtt asound to get a better image of variousgastrtt ointestinal organs.

“YoYY u havaa e to havaa e leading edge technology to address all of thtt e GI dis-orders we see,” sayaa s Anthtt onynn Celifaff rco, M.D., Director ofGastrtt oenterology.yy “A patient mayaa come to us withtt gastrtt ointestinal bleed-ing, aba dominal pain, or sudden weight loss and we havaa e to provide a fuff llrange of state-of-ff thtt e-art procedures to diagnose and trtt eat thtt em.”

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Provides a ClearerPicture of Hidden Areas of the GI TractGastrtt oenterologists at St. Francis Hospital are now using endoscopicultrtt asound to get a better view of thtt e internal organs of thtt e chest andaba domen.The minimally invnn asive procedure usually takes less thtt an an

St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ® • Winter 2012-13 Heartbeat17

American Association of Critical-CareNurses Gives St. Francis Hospital ItsGold-Level Beacon Award for ExcellenceSt. Francis Is the Only Hospital in New York State to Receive this Prestigious National Nursing Recognition

The Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CTICU) at St. FrancisHospital, The Heart Center® has received a gold-level BeaconAward for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).

The award recognizes hospital unit caregivers who successful-ly improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s sixstandards for a healthy work environment. Units that achievethis three-year, three-level award with gold, silver and bronzedesignations meet national criteria consistent with MagnetRecognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, andthe National Quality Healthcare Award.

“We are honored to receive yet another prestigious nationalrecognition for nursing excellence. Along with our Magnet desig-nation, it reflects our ongoing commitment to providing ourpatients and their families with the very best care,” says AnnCella, R.N., Senior VP of Patient Care Services and CNO of St.Francis Hospital.

The gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence earned by CTICUat St. Francis Hospital signifies excellent and sustained unit per-formance and patient outcomes. The Hospital earned a goldaward by meeting evidence-based criteria that include leader-ship structures and systems, appropriate staffing and staffengagement, effective communication, knowledge manage-ment, learning and development, best practices, evidence-basedpractice and processes, and patient outcomes.

Award Winning Intensive Care - The CTICU team of St. Francis Hospital with Ann Cella,R.N., (third from front left), Senior VP of Patient Care & CNO.

According tog Dr. Celifarco, while the procedure is predominantly usedy todiagnose pancreatic cancer, it ist also helpful in diagnosingn conditionsg of thefesophagus and rectum. In additionn ton being usedg by gastroenterologists,y theprocedure is also being performedg by pulmonologistsy at St.t Francis Hospitalfor assessingr variousg tumors of thef chest.

As for ther patient, Dr. Celifarco says the procedure feels almost thet sameas a traditionala endoscopy, However, it offerst much moreh information tonhelp diagnose and treat theirt gastrointestinalr illnesses.

Halo Radiofrequency Ablation- New Hopefor Treating a Condition that Can Lead toCancer of the EsophagusUntil recently, patients diagnosed with Barrett’sh esophagus, a conditiona thatn

can ben a precursora tor cancer,faced the prospect oft undergoingfa surgicala procedure that hadtmajor risks.r But now,t the GIexperts at St.t Francis Hospital areusing ag minimallya invasivey proce-dure called Halo radiofrequencyablation ton treat patientst with thishpotentially dangerousy condition,which ish usually triggeredy bychronic acid reflux.

The procedure uses radiofre-quency wavesy that producet heatto destroy abnormaly areas in thenesophagus that indicatet cells areprecancerous. It helpst restorethe lining ofg thef esophagus to itsnormal state.

Traditionally, physicians treating patientsg with Barrett’sh esophagus had totake a watch-a and-wait approacht toh see if thef condition becamen cancerousand whether ar patienta wouldt be a gooda candidate for surgery.r Dr. Celifarcosays now gastroenterologists at St.t Francis Hospital can taken a proactiveaapproach withh considerablyh lessy risks.

Experts say esophagealy cancer hasr tripled over ther past 20t years, mainlydo to obesity, and most casest of esophagealf cancer arer triggered by Barrett’syesophagus.

“Unfortunately manyy peopley with Barrett’sh esophagus have lost heartburntsymptoms and may bey asymptomatic, so it ist harder tor diagnose and there-fore can progressn silently toy esophageal cancer,” says Dr. Celifarco.

The director ofr gastroenterologyf saysy the procedure is also being usedgto treat GIt conditions associated with recurrenth bleeding,t such ash proctitusresulting fromg radiation treatmentn fort prostater cancer.

Heartbeat Winter 2012-13 • St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ®18

Vital Signs

Most people know St. Francis for its highquality heart care, but more and morepatients – weekend warriors and others – arelooking to the hospital and its surgeons fortop quality orthopedic care. Recently, St.Francis was recognized regionally by U.S.News & World Report as high performing inorthopedics for the second year in a row.While St. Francis has offered high-qualityorthopedic surgery for many years, the U.S.News recognition is just one of several signsthat the program has arrived.

According to Richard D’Agostino, M.D.,Director of Orthopedic Surgery at St. FrancisHospital (inset), there are several factorsbehind the program’s recent accomplishments.“Foremost, it is the quality of the surgeons,

which we have maintained through the years. And the nursing care is simply the best,”he says. “We have also made changes that demonstrate a commitment to the program,for example, adding topnotch physician assistants, enhancing education for patient care,and dedicating a floor in the hospital exclusively for orthopedic patients.”

Dr. D’Agostino also notes a change in the patients who come to see him for care.“They are more educated,” he says, adding: “Today, patients do their homework andpay attention to publicly reported quality data. They see that St. Francis has the toppatient satisfaction scores on Long Island and among the best in the region, and thatmakes a difference.” For Dr. D’Agostino, that’s a reflection of the “St. Francis Way”:excellent care totally committed to the patient. At the end of the day, he says, “it is sat-isfied patients sending us patients – friends, family members, co-workers.”

Another positive sign is the number of new orthopedic surgeons joining St. Francis.In January, the hospital appointed Bruce A. Seideman, M.D., as Director of JointReplacement, and last year, Timothy B. Reish, M.D., Michael N. Kang, M.D., Craig S.Radnay, M.D., and William J. Long, M.D., surgeons from the Insall Scott Kelly Institutefor Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine (ISK), joined St. Francis. “The new ISK surgeonsare a welcome sign of growth as is the ISK Joint Replacement Fellowship programwhich brings orthopedic surgeons in training to St. Francis,” says Dr. D’Agostino. “Weare excited about the prospect of more qualified surgeons joining our department inthe months ahead.”

If you would like to see a St. Francis orthopedic surgeon for a consultation or a sec-ond opinion, call (1-888) 432-7869.

It has been a yearaa sinii ce foff uruu membm ers of thtt eInsalaa l Scotttt Kellyll Institt tutt tuu e (ISK) foff r Orthtt opaedidd csanaa d Sports Medidd cicc nii e joinii ed St. Franaa cicc s Hospitatt laa ’sDeparaa tmtt entnn of Orthtt opedidd c Suruu gr ery anaa d it hasbeen a busy titt mii e foff r thtt e suruu gr eons.Timii othtt yhhReish, M.D. (not pictcc utt ruu ed), Michael Kanaa gn , M.D.(leftff )t , Craiaa g Radndd ayaa ,yy M.D. (centnn er), anaa dWiWW lliamaaLongn , M.D. (righgg thh )t , specicc alaa ize inii servivv ces such asaraa thtt rhh ititt s prevevv ntnn itt on, totatt laa knkk ee anaa d hihh pii replace-mentnn , foff ot anaa d anaa knn lkk e suruu gr ery,yy anaa d caraa titt laga erestorataa itt on. Butuu whww ataa some mayaa not knkk owoo aba outuuISK is thtt ataa thtt e inii stitt tutt tuu e has a remaraa krr akk ba le feff llowoo -shihh pii programaa thtt ataa givevv s canaa didd dataa es thtt e opportutt nuu inn -tytt to hone thtt eirii orthtt opedidd c expxx erience. “WeWW pro-vivv de anaa extxx rtt emelyll foff cucc sed subu specicc alaa tytt trtt aiaa nii inn nii gn ,hihh ghgg vovv lull muu e, expxx erienced statt faa fff wiww thtt a strtt ongnresearaa ch backgk rounuu d, as weww ll as a laraa gr er academicportftt off lio thtt ataa inii clull des inii tnn ernataa itt onalaa anaa d nataa itt onlevevv l meetitt nii gn s anaa d a frff ataa erninn tytt thtt ataa contnn itt nii unn es foff rthtt e rest of thtt e feff llowoo ’s practcc itt cicc nii gn caraa eer,rr” sayaa s Dr.rrLongn .gg Accordidd nii gn to Dr.rr Radndd ayaa ,yy “ThTT e programaa sgivevv St. Franaa cicc s more nataa itt onalaa anaa d inii tnn ernataa itt onalaaclinii inn calaa anaa d academic recogngg inn titt on. It’s a greataaopportutt nuu inn tytt to expxx anaa d thtt e teachihh nii gn expxx erience ataaSt. Franaa cicc s Hospitatt laa inii adudd luu t reconstrtt uctc itt on anaa dsports medidd cicc nii e.” Dr.rr Longn aga rees. He sayaa s iniiaddidd titt on to academic recogngg inn titt on, more leadidd nii gn -edgd e suruu gr ery beinii gn done ataa thtt e Hospitatt laa . “ThTT efeff llowoo s araa e avaa avv iaa laba le, anaa d thtt ey’re lookikk nii gn afaa tff er thtt epataa itt entnn s vevv ry closelyll anaa d I thtt ihh nii knn thtt ataa helpll s evevv ry-one,” he sayaa s.

ThTT e ISK phpp yhh sicicc anaa s canaa be rerr achcc ed ataa :Roslyll nyy Offff iff ce: (516) 705-10400 444Baba ybb lyy on Offff iff ce: (631) 482-9175Newee YoYY rkrr Offff iff ce: (646) 293-7510

ISK Surgeons BringOrthopedic FellowshipProgram to St. Francis

St. Francis Orthopedic Surgery Program Is Growing, Earning High Marks Along the Way

St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center ® • Winter 2012-13 Heartbeat

We are proud to announce that Great South Bay MedicalPractice has joined the St. Francis family. The physicians,

Stephen M. Burke, M.D.; Raymond L. Ebarb, M.D.; Kenneth B.

Levites, M.D.; and Nicholas P. Zotto, M.D., offer outstanding

primary care services and can be reached at:

213 Main Street

West Sayville, NY 11796

(631) 563-6205 phone • (631) 563-7718 fax

19

Bruce A. Seideman, M.D., has been appointed Chief of Joint

Replacement in the Division of Orthopedic Surgery. Dr.

Seideman was previously Chief of the Joint Replacement

Service at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. His

areas of expertise include both primary total hip and knee

replacement surgery and complex revisions of prior replace-

ments, as well as arthritis and related disorders of the hip

and knee.

Gary H. Friedman, M.D., has joined the cardiology group led by

Richard Shlofmitz, M.D., Chairman of Cardiology, and Stephen

Mezzafonte, M.D., at St. Francis. Dr. Friedman received his medical

degree at Tel-Aviv University and completed his residency and fellow-

ship at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. He served as a staff physi-

cian, acting head of the Non-Invasive Adult Cardiology department,

and associate attending at Long Island Jewish Medical Center from

1987 to 1999, and then as a staff physician at North Shore University

Hospital. In 2000, Friedman joined Interventional Cardiac

Consultants in New Hyde Park, N.Y., before coming to St. Francis

Hospital as a cardiologist in 2004.

Louise Spadaro, M.D., has been named a Board Member of

the Long Island chapter of the American Heart Association

(AHA.) Dr. Spadaro is the Director of the Cardiac Outreach

Program at St. Francis and is a leading expert on women heart

disease.

Patricia J. Tassinari, M.D., was named director of the BishopMcHugh Health Center in Hicksville, a satellite facility of St.

Francis Hospital. Dr. Tassinari was previously a full-time

physician at First Med Immediate Medical Services in

Bayside, Queens. She has 25 years of experience in provid-

ing urgent family medical care.

Staff News

William Chung, M.D., has joined the cardiology group led by

Richard Shlofmitz, M.D., Chairman of Cardiology, and Stephen

Mezzafonte, M.D., at St. Francis. Dr. Chung received his medical

degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. He

completed his fellowship at Stony Brook University Hospital, as

well as a research fellowship and residency program at Boston

University Medical Center. Dr. Chung is board certified in cardio-

vascular computed tomography and nuclear cardiology.

Ganesh S. Kamath, M.D., has joined South Bay Cardiovascular, St.

Francis Hospital’s cardiology center in Suffolk County. Dr. Kamath

received his medical degree at the University of Mumbai and complet-

ed his internal medicine residency at State University of New York at

Buffalo. He recently completed his cardiology fellowship at St. Luke’s

Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan. Dr. Kamath served as part time physi-

cian at Franklin Hospital Medical Center in North Valley Stream, N.Y.,

from 2007 to 2008, and then at St. Francis Hospital from 2008 to 2009.

The DeMatteis Center Wins Top Honor for Patient Satisfaction AgainFor the fourth year in a row, The DeMatteis Center for Cardiac Research and Education has

won a Summit Award for being in the top one percent in the nation for patient satisfaction.

The Press Ganey group honored the St. Francis outpatient facility with the prestigious award

for having 99 percent patient satisfaction scores for twelve consecutive quarters.

Bhoomi Mehrotra, M.D., has been named the new Director of

Oncology and Director of the Cancer Institute at St. Francis

Hospital, The Heart Center®. Before coming to St. Francis, Dr.

Mehrotra was the Associate Chief for Oncology at North Shore LIJ

Department of Medicine. Prior to that, he served as section chief of

Medical Oncology and director of the Adult Autologous Stem Cell

Program at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park,

NY, until 2011. He is currently an associate professor of medicine at

the Hoftstra-NSLIJ School of Medicine and has been recognized by

Castle Connolly as one of the “Best Doctors” in the New York Metro

area. Dr. Mehrotra received his medical degree at the University of

Delhi, where he also completed an internship. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at

LIJ and a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the Cancer Research Institute, at the

University of California (UC) in San Francisco. He also conducted postdoctoral fellowships in UC’s

Radiation Oncology Research Laboratory, Brain Tumor Research Center, the Cancer Research

Institute and Division of Molecular Cytometry, in the Department of Laboratory Medicine. His pub-

lications have appeared in Blood, Annals of Internal Medicine, the American Journal of Clinical

Oncology, the American Journal of Hematology, Seminars of Oncology, and the Hematology

Oncology Clinics of North America. Dr. Mehrotra currently moderates online tumor boards for the

American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) University. He has extensively lectured nationally

and internationally, and has given educational sessions at the annual meeting of ASCO and the

American Society of Hematology.

New to the SFH Family

To contact any of the physicians or surgeons mentioned in this publication, please call 1-888-HEARTNY (432-7869).

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St. Francis HospitalThe Heart Center ®

100 Port Washington BoulevardRoslyn, New York 11576

www.stfrancisheartcenter.com

2013MarkYourCalendarSt. Francis Hospital Events

For more information or tickets, call (516) 705-6655

Monday, June 3St. Francis Hospital’s 39th Annual Golf Classic at MeadowBrook Club, The Creek, and Nassau Country Club

Individuals and foursomes are welcome. Golf reservations will beassigned on a first come, first served basis.