Another Milestone At RVH

1000th procedure performed through Simcoe Muskoka Regional Heart Program

The first procedure was in January of this year and yesterday (December 11), the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Heart Program team performed its 1000th procedure – an angiogram.

Brian Sills, 61, of Penetanguishene was the recipient.

“Everything runs so smoothly here, right from the very start people have been kind and happy which makes a big difference when you are facing a scary situation. The team here was so professional while at the same time compassionate and understanding. Not only was I ‘patient 1,000’ I also received very good news today – an early Merry Christmas from the cardiac team.”

The heart program – a partnership with Southlake Regional Health Centre – expanded in September to include more advanced cardiac procedures such as angioplasty, stenting, fractional flow reserve and optical coherence tomography.

 “The milestone we are celebrating today is yet another move forward as we gradually ramp-up services over the next few years. In early 2019, we will start accepting stable inpatients from other hospitals in the region and in 2020, the heart program will operate 24/7 and paramedics will begin transporting North Simcoe Muskoka heart attack patients directly to RVH for treatment, bypassing other local emergency departments.”
– Dr Mark Kotowycz, medical director of the Cardiac Intervention Unit

The program expanded again in October when it welcomed a second interventional cardiologist, Dr Tony Lee. Dr Lee hails from Toronto and for the past seven years has been practising at Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Dr. Mark Kotowycz (left), interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Cardiac Intervention Unit, and Dr. Stephen Pizzale (right), cardiologist and medical director of the Cardiovascular Program, with the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Heart Program at RVH, congratulate Brian Sills, from Penetanguishene, along with his wife Andrea, on being the program’s thousandth patient and on the good health news he received following his angiogram.

Dr. Mark Kotowycz (left), interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Cardiac Intervention Unit, and Dr. Stephen Pizzale (right), cardiologist and medical director of the Cardiovascular Program, with the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Heart Program at RVH, congratulate Brian Sills, from Penetanguishene, along with his wife Andrea, on being the program’s thousandth patient and on the good health news he received following his angiogram.

photo courtesy RVH 

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