The Pulse of Providence March April 2014 | Page 5

Welcome t TEAMPROVIDENCE o In order to continue to provide the services our patients need, when they need them, our physician network continues to expand. Join us in welcoming Neurosurgeon Dr. Brian O’Grady. Click Here for a full bio. Brian O’Grady, MD Providence Neurosurgical Associates Providence Welcomes our New Associates Providence Begins New Heart Procedure Providence Health Center is the first hospital in Waco to offer a new outpatient technique for heart patients with completely blocked arteries who might not be candidates for open heart surgery. The specific condition treated is a Chronic Total Occlusion or CTO, which can cause chest pain and other health issues. This new technique is now being performed by Dr. Charles Shoultz, III with Waco Cardiology Associates at Providence Health Center. Dr. Shoultz was invited to attend an intensive training for this latest minimally invasive technology and technique in August 2013 and began the new technique in September 2013. He was specially chosen for this training based on the number of annual interventional procedures he performed at Providence Health Center. In this procedure the physician uses a new catheter to get around the blockage by passing into the wall of the artery and going around the blockage. Although this procedure is not appropriate for every patient, it will allow specially trained interventional cardiologists like Dr. Shoultz to use a less invasive procedure to improve circulation in many patients who may not have other options for treating the blockage. Approximately 31% of patients referred for coronary angiography have at least one totally blocked artery. CTOs affect the survival and quality of life of hundreds of thousands of people, and have historically been an untreatable condition for many patients. While some are treated with bypass surgery, up until this point 60% of patients with CTOs have been treated only with prescription drugs. Something Fishy! Many have asked…and here it is! The FISH! Philosophy video is posted in the Associate’s Corner on Focus. What great reminder it is that when we commit to “be there, choose our attitude, make their day, and play,” we can provide the safe, quality excellent care our patients desire. The Pulse of Providence • 5