EDITORIAL: Shaw Heart Center

The hearts that have been saved in Douglas County during the past year have made a big difference in the lives of many local families.

With the arrival of Dr. Howard Feldman and the opening of the Shaw Heart and Vascular Center at Mercy Medical Center, 289 patients were treated in Roseburg rather than being rushed out of town in an ambulance.

Feldman, an interventional cardiologist, brought the procedure known as angioplasty to Mercy. He’s able to open the clogged arteries of patients suffering from heart attacks or severe blockages and place stents inside, allowing the blood to flow once again.

It’s a procedure that must be performed quickly, to minimize the loss of heart muscle and to increase the chance of survival.

Prior to the opening of the Shaw Heart and Vascular Center on Jan. 2, 2007, patients arriving at Mercy who needed an artery-opening procedure were typically sent to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene.

Now patients can stay at their hometown hospital, where it’s easier for family and friends to visit and offer support. The costs for the patient and family to travel and stay out of town are eliminated, and the follow-up care remains with the same doctor in the same town.

The addition of this medical procedure, which broadens Mercy’s scope of care, adds up to a lot of advantages for county residents. It’s a crucial service in an area with a graying population.

Fortunately, Feldman, who came to town with impressive credentials — he’s board certified in cardiology, interventional cardiology, vascular medicine and endovascular medicine — has had good results.

He and the 19 staff members at the heart center treated 58 heart attack patients, saving all but five, in its first year of operation. The first heart attack patient arrived on the day the center opened; he survived and is doing well.

The goal for the heart center is to take no longer than 90 minutes from the time a heart attack patient enters the hospital until a balloon is inserted in the clogged artery for the angioplasty. The staff calls that door-to-balloon time, a measurement met 82 percent of the time in the center’s first year.

The national average for hospitals of similar size with similar resources is 83 minutes.

The staff of the Shaw Heart and Vascular Center celebrated its first year of saving hearts with a catered luncheon last week to share the news with board members and community members. Several patients were on hand as well to talk about their newfound good health.

A need still exists in this program, however. A second interventional cardiologist would be able to reduce the workload of Feldman, who’s basically on call 24 hours a day. Feldman left Great Falls, Mont., to join Mercy’s staff.

We’re hopeful another doctor as qualified and dedicated as Feldman will come to Roseburg soon to aid in the continued success of this center that is so important to the heart health of our local residents.