Trio of friends benefit from collaborative cardiovascular program at Butler Memorial Hospital
Nearly 4,000 cardiac catheterizations have now been performed at Indiana Regional Medical Center, or IRMC, through a partnership with the Independence Health System’s Butler Memorial Hospital.
Interventional cardiologists from Butler have provided round-the-clock coverage for the cardiac catheterization laboratory at IRMC since 2016, performing cardiac procedures, providing diagnostic cardiac testing and helping patients win their battles against heart disease in emergency situations.
“The relationship between Independence Health System and Indiana Regional Medical Center has been outstanding for the care of patients in the Indiana community,” said Dr. Richard Begg, the Butler interventional cardiologist who oversees the cath lab for the joint venture. “We have provided care that has improved outcomes and saved countless lives in this region. I am honored and proud of what we have built together to provide excellent patient care with outstanding outcomes.”
Through the partnership, patients who need a nonemergency level of cardiac care, such as coronary artery heart bypass grafting or transcatheter aortic valve replacement, are transferred to Butler Memorial Hospital.
Post-discharge, they return to Indiana where they continue to be followed by their hometown cardiologist affiliated with Butler or IRMC and participate in cardiac rehabilitation at IRMC.
“We are proud to continue this partnership as it signifies our commitment to expanding access to high-quality, safe cardiac care within the region,” said Dr. Richard Neff, IRMC chief medical officer.
Among those who have been positively impacted by the partnership are three Indiana County retirees who gather several times a week for coffee and conversation. Robert Lloyd, Leonard Medvetz and Eugene Sobota came together because of shared interests in tennis and experiences at IUP or via invitation to the coffee club, but another commonality is the care they received at the IRMC.
Sobota recalled receiving a single stent in 2017 after a stress test revealed a blockage. The retired Caterpillar computer systems administrator said he was feeling great afterward and didn’t give his heart health much thought until he noticed his energy declining last year, coupled with fatigue and shortness of breath.
Sobota had always been aware he had a heart murmur and was good about keeping tabs on it through regular echocardiograms. When these new symptoms emerged, he said he knew it was time to take action.
On Aug. 23, the valve was repaired at Butler Memorial, and Sobota returned home. Now in cardiac rehab at IRMC, Sobota, 81, finds his vigor returning.
“Everything was great, from beginning to end. I’m working on building back up my strength and looking forward to summer,” he said.
Six years ago, Lloyd felt pressure in his chest and IRMC Physician Group cardiologist Dr. Edward McDowell, a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, suggested a cardiac stress test would be beneficial, as would a cardiac catheterization.
The retired IUP music educator and former principal oboist for the Johnstown Symphony knew things were severe when he was informed by the cath lab team he wouldn’t being going home; rather he was being transferred to Butler Memorial where he underwent triple bypass surgery.
“They told me two of my arteries were 90% blocked and the third was at 100%,” he said.
Lloyd remembered the conversation between his wife and a Butler heart surgeon
“You saved Bob’s life,” Lloyd recalls her saying post-surgery.
“It had to be done,” the doctor replied.
Medvetz thought little about his heart health during his working years. He knew his grandmother died of a heart condition, but the FMC Corp. retiree was active, caring for his large property and pursuing his hobbies in the backyard shed. All that changed two years ago, when he found it hard to walk around outdoors without resting, and his wife, Dori, urged him to seek medical advice.
A visit with IRMC Physician Group Cardiology initially resulted in medical management but Medvetz wasn’t improving and decided he wanted further testing, and headed to Butler Memorial for a heart catheterization. While in the Butler cath lab, Medvetz noticed what appeared to be an emergency response team assembling.
Then he heard someone say to him, “You are going to need heart surgery.”
Medvetz said his doctor put him at ease.
“The next thing I remember is waking up in the ICU, and being asked to get out of bed. I had no pain or discomfort,” he said.
The date of his bypass surgery will forever be in his memory — Oct. 6, 2022. Just two days later, his first grandchild — Nadia Christine — was born. And six weeks later Medvetz was beginning cardiac rehab in Indiana.
There have been a few hiccups over the past year as another underlying condition was finally diagnosed and addressed. Medvetz is back in cardiac rehab to achieve a complete recovery, and focusing on that little girl who keeps giving him a reason to stay well.
