Annual Report 2006
Our lifetime of experience has readied us for your experience of a lifetime.

“I would definitely recommend Grand View as the place to go. I’ve felt fine ever since my heart procedure.” Ken Lynch Two-Time Heart-Attack Survivor
	Annual Report 2006
	Letter from the Chairmen
	Hospital Expansion
	Outpatient Centers
	Cancer Care
	Heart Health
	Surgery
	Women's & Children's Services
	Development
	Financials
	Charity Care Policy
	Health Promotion & Wellness
	Recruitment
	Donor Report
	Mission
Related Links
- Heart Care
- Cardiac Diagnostic Testing
- Cardiac Catheterization Lab
- Cardiology Inpatient Care
- Cardiac Rehabilitation

Heart Health

Fourth of July was a memorable day for Ken Lynch. It was the day he had his second heart attack. Ken played five straight games of basketball in the hot sun and then walked several blocks to watch the fireworks in Quakertown.

As the rockets exploded overhead, Ken broke out into cold sweats and felt as weak as a baby. The tall, thin, athletic man told his wife he wasn’t feeling well and wanted to go home. Fortunately, they had brought nitro-glycerin tablets. He took them, and it helped. They headed for the car, although walking was nearly impossible for Ken because of shortness of breath and weakness.

After lying down for several hours, he knew he had to go to the hospital. It took all of his strength to call his wife from another room. They went to the Emergency Department at Grand View Hospital, where it was confirmed that he was suffering a second heart attack.

Cardiologist Dr. Paul R. Hermany concluded that an artery in Ken’s heart was blocked. He scheduled a cardiac catheterization to confirm the presence of a blockage. The procedure was performed by Dr. J. Patrick Kleaveland, co-director of the David M. Flowers, MD, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Grand View. Dr. Kleaveland is also the medical director of the Lehigh Valley Hospital Cardiac Cath Lab and is very experienced in performing catheterization.

Dr. Kleaveland inserted a thin tube, called a catheter, into the large artery of Ken’s leg and advanced it to the coronary arteries of his heart. Using contrast dye and X-ray, Dr. Kleaveland was able to see the arteries and diagnose the blockage. In Ken’s case, a new blockage had developed at the site of his previous stent and needed to be reopened.

Dr. Kleaveland soon opened the blockage with a second catheter equipped with a small inflatable balloon. He then placed a stent, a small metal mesh tube, into the coronary artery and expanded the stent to provide support to the diseased artery. The metal mesh tube helps maintain blood flow in previously blocked cardiac arteries.

“Things went very well,” Dr. Kleaveland said. “The equipment and staff were excellent, and Ken was the perfect patient for this type of procedure. For the convenience of our patients, I am very pleased to offer cardiac catheterization at Grand View Hospital.”

Ken was pleased that he could get the heart procedure he needed so close to home. It made everything much easier for both him and his wife.

“They treated me really well,” Ken said. “I’m not much of a hospital person, so I’m glad to get in and out as fast as possible.” The procedure took only about two hours; Ken was released the next morning. The following day, he returned to his job and a few days later, he was working his regular 13-hour shifts and playing basketball with his 17- and 25-year-old sons.

“Everyone at Grand View was very professional,” he said. “I felt comfortable. I would definitely recommend Grand View as the place to go. I’ve felt fine ever since my heart procedure.”

a lifetime of experience | Sue Meissner-Dengler, RN | Grand View Hospital
Registered nurse and science enthusiast Sue Meissner-Dengler jumped at the opportunity to work in Grand View’s new Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory when it opened last February. Sue, one of the nurses involved with Ken’s catheterization, has always enjoyed the scientific side of nursing. After receiving a bachelor’s of science degree in biology from Juniata College, she earned her nursing degree from Creighton University by completing an intensive one-year program. Sue also thrives on professional challenge. “I like being involved with people while learning something new,” she said. “I like to be inventive. At Grand View, Cath Lab nurses and technologists work closely with physicians and fully participate in the care of our patients.”

In 1982, Sue started at Grand View, where she has worked on a medical surgical unit and the Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICCU). There, she gained experience working with heart patients and their families. Accustomed to supporting individuals facing difficult, sometimes life-threatening situations, Sue understands patients’ fears. “I love to be able to help a patient,” she said. “The biggest reward is that ‘thank you’ at the end.”

Cath Lab Diagnoses and Treats Heart Problems
Cardiovascular diseases rank as America’s number-one killer. They claim the lives of 41.4 percent of the more than 2.3 million American men and women who die each year, according to the American Heart Association.

Most heart-attack victims do not suffer the sudden and intense symptoms of the so-called movie heart attack. Heart attacks often start slowly with mild pain or discomfort, which may explain why many people wait too long before getting help.

Cardiac catheterization is one of the most useful tools in diagnosing heart problems,” said co-director Dr. J. Doyle Walton. “Grand View Hospital is pleased to make its services available through the David M. Flowers, MD, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, named in memory of the well-respected cardiologist.”

“I feel fortunate to be part of this historic moment in the development of Grand View’s cardiac services,” Dr. Walton said. “We are committed to helping members of our community reach and maintain their optimal level of heart health. The establishment of the cath lab is an important step toward that goal.”

Grand View is one of 11 community hospitals throughout Pennsylvania granted permission to operate a cath lab without having a cardiac surgery program. The Department of Health granted the exception to make angioplasty procedures more available to patients residing in areas served by community hospitals. Angioplasty uses a tube with a tiny balloon that is inserted into a clogged artery to reopen the artery.

In addition to the cath lab, Grand View offers numerous non-surgical procedures to identify the presence and extent of heart disease. Physicians rely on the hospital’s modern equipment to provide patients with the highest level of detail in test results.

Grand View’s Intensive Coronary Care Unit contains the most current cardiac monitoring equipment and is fully staffed with critical-care registered nurses and highly skilled cardiologists. Recovering patients can benefit from Grand View's comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program.