C O N N E C T I O N S THAT A COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE Issue No. 27/Winter 2014 Center for Cancer Care When GERD Gets in the Way Choosing a Doctor? visit: www.emhc.org The cancer center of tomorrow is open today. See why it’s special. A surgical procedure called TIF can bring comfort and relief. This list of 10 questions guides your decision-making. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds in America. Worse yet, someone dies from a heart disease-related event every minute. Although heart disease can be scary, there’s no excuse for ignoring it — especially when there are simple-to-use online tools that help you determine your risk, such as Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare’s (EMHC) HeartAware assessment (find it at www.emhc.org/HealthAware). The test, which Edward Hospital has offered since 2009, begins with a confidential risk assessment, with data stored on a secure and certified server. Mathematical scoring and clinical parameters set by physicians determine candidates at risk for developing cardiovascular disease. Those identified as at risk can meet with a clinician, who will measure blood pressure, cholesterol, height and weight, and discuss next steps. Between the screenings offered at both hospitals, one-third of those who take the assessment discover that they are at risk and schedule follow-up appointments. “The more that people become aware of the condition of their hearts, the more they’ll be able to do something about it before it’s too late,” observes Emmanuel Linchangco, M.D., an internist with Elmhurst Memorial Primary Care Associates. of those taking the HeartAware assessment typically find that they are at risk and follow up with their physician. 3 health connections winter 2014 cover story :: 5-minute online test YOUR HEALTH. YOUR MOVE. EASY AS: 1 2 3 LEARN LISTEN LIVE We invite you to be proactive in your health and turn to us as your resource. Our HealthAware assessments take about ﬁve minutes and provide a quick response about your health as well as action steps if you are identiﬁed as being at risk. www.emhc.org/HealthAware Kerry Minow, 56, who works in EMHC’s MHC’s istration, lab information services administration, took advantage of the free online screening n in October, when the Hospital rolled out u th ut tthee program to q a ify al f fo fforr employees. The results indicated thatt she would qu qualify further testing, so she scheduled an a assessment n th tthat a measat ures the amount of calcium buildup uildup in the arteries, which is a sign of heart disease, and an ultrasound that measures the d any issues. Naturally, y she was relieved risk of stroke. Neither test revealed a e lives. Ta T ake her — especially because she knows how screenings can sav save Take husband’s, for example. What you don’t know . . . In 2009, Mike Minow took advantage dvantage o off a ffree ree h heart eart sscan can o offered ffe r e d b by y E EMHC MHC aand nd Midwest Heart Specialists as part of the Healthy Hearts for Police i and d Firefi Firefighters f ghters program, even though Mike had no symptoms of heart disease. “You lie on your back, they slide you in the CT scanner and about 10 minutes later, it’s over. It was a piece of cake,” recalls Mike, 57, of Schaumburg and now retired from the Bensenville Fire Protection District. (continued on page 5) learn more: www.emhc.org 4 The best calcium score is zero; Mike’s was 200. “I was a little shocked. I had taken care of myself. I had quit smoking in 2000, mostly ate well and exercised regularly,” he shares. The nurse recommended that Mike follow up with his primary care physician, Dr. Linchangco, who recalls the visit. “I looked at all his factors, including that he didn’t know his family medical history. And even though he was actually healthy overall, I thought that he should have a stress echocardiogram just to be sure,” he says. And that’s the day that Kerry may remember most of all. (continued on page 6) Emmanuel Linchangco, M.D. Internal Medicine “Screenings are becoming more frequent nowadays because employers are offering wellness checks. Patients show me their results if something is abnormal, and sometimes that leads to a diagnosis. Catching it early — that’s the key. If you do have something, we want to diagnose it much earlier and treat it accordingly.” Take the test that could save your life. www.emhc.org/HealthAware ? CAN YOU RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF A HEART ATTACK? In just ﬁve minutes, you can assess your heart health and determine steps to take if you’re at risk. Simply visit www.emhc.org/HealthAware. While you’re there, also see if you’re at an increased risk for a stroke. The assessments are free and conﬁdential — and could save your life. While some heart attacks are sudden, most start slowly. Mild pain or discomfort could signal a heart attack — and minutes matter when seeking help. Call 9-1-1 to start lifesaving treatment. Paramedics begin treatment when they arrive and prepare the hospital staff to take over once you get there. KNOW THE SIGNS OF A HEART ATTACK: CHEST DISCOMFORT Includes discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. DISCOMFORT IN OTHER AREAS OF THE UPPER BODY Includes pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. SHORTNESS OF BREATH May occur with or without chest discomfort. OTHER SIGNS May include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. Women experiencing a heart attack tend to have atypical chest pain, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, nausea and unexplained fatigue. 5 health connections winter 2014 Mike and Kerry Minow cover story :: 5-minute online test A Slight Change in Plans Kerry was at her desk during Mike’s stress test. “He called and said he was being admitted. I thought he was joking — he does that — but I saw that the call was coming from the central admissions area. I was stunned,” she says. Mike’s stress test revealed an occluded right coronary artery and clogging in his posterior descending artery. He was scheduled for angioplasty the next morning. “And I was asymptomatic! The day before, I was shoveling snow for four hours. Judging by the photos of my heart, I think that I was close to a heart attack. Real close,” Mike reveals. Daniel Sullivan, M.D., performed the angioplasty and inserted stents. Mike was up and walking the same day. He started a three-month cardiac rehabilitation program before he even left the Hospital two days later. Today, Mike is healthy, and he and Kerry believe that his screening probably saved his life. Comments Dr. Linchangco, “Screenings offer an objective result where people can say, ‘OK, I have these issues, and I need to do something about them.’ Catching those issues early — that’s the key.” Kerry and Mike also thank Dr. Linchangco for his diligence. Offers Kerry, “If he had taken a waitand-see approach, Mike probably would have had a heart attack.” Since Mike’s surgery, Kerry admits that she takes every opportunity to tell people about getting screened. “It offers great peace of mind because we know what can happen,” she says. Lawrence Barr, M.D. Cardiology “We can attribu attribute our exceptionally ffast door-toballoon time to across-theboard buy-in and teamwork, and, of cou course, a lot of very and committed talented a people, from the first responders through res the t cath lab.” David and Mary Beth Cairo David and Mary Beth Cairo WHEN A HEART ATTACK HAPPENS David Cairo, 57, of Addison thought that the pain in his chest was just indigestion. The yard work would need to wait while he rested with a glass of water. “This had happened before, and the pain would go away. But this time, it didn’t,” David recalls. In fact, the pain was moving up to his jaw and throughout an arm, and becoming more intense. What he did next likely saved his life. “I was afraid to call the paramedics because if it wasn’t a heart attack, I’d feel like a fool. But I called 9-1-1 anyway,” David says about that day in May 2012. Emergency medical technicians confirmed his condition and electronically sent test results to the Elmhurst Memorial Hospital emergency medical team that was standing by, including Lawrence Barr, M.D., a cardiologist with Midwest Heart Specialists. There’s a window of opportunity — called door-to-balloon — for a patient to receive life-saving medical treatment following a heart attack. The national standard is 90 minutes, but EMHC’s average is closer to just 60 minutes. And in David’s case, only 24 minutes passed between the moment that he reached the Hospital and the time that the blocked artery was reopened with a stent — a hospital record. “We try to go well beyond the national goals and are always looking for ways to shave off a minute or two yet maintain quality,” says Dr. Barr. While David was being prepared for cardiac catheterization, a nurse called David’s wife, Mary Beth, at work. Hearing the news “took the breath out of me,” she states. Even though she left for the Hospital immediately, by the time she arrived, David had already received stents and was “in the recovery room with a big smile on his face,” she shares. Since his heart attack, David has quit smoking, lowered his cholesterol, lost weight and completely changed his diet. “I eat so much chicken now that people ask me why I cross the road,” he jokes. Looking back, David and Mary Beth both say that calling 9-1-1 was the smartest action David took. Notes Mary Beth, “Time is not on the heart attack patient’s side. Don’t lose all that valuable time, which the paramedics can use to start the tests and communicate with hospital personnel. Just call 9-1-1.” minutes is EMHC’s average door-to-balloon time. The national standard is 90 minutes. learn more: www.emhc.org 6