For the Heart, From the Heart
AdventHealth Redmond provides important cardiovascular care in Northwest Georgia.
On a walk together one fall morning in late 2022, Otis Raybon turned to his wife, Barbara and told her he didn’t feel well and was short of breath. Realizing the severity of the situation, Barbara called a neighbor for help, who drove the couple to AdventHealth Redmond’s emergency department.
Otis underwent blood tests and was transferred to the cardiac catheterization lab, where the team saw he had experienced a massive heart attack.
Charles Jackson, MD, Harbin Clinic cardiologist, identified five blockages in Otis’ heart and upon seeing the monitor, Otis asked Dr. Jackson if he had experienced the “widow maker” heart attack, a type of heart attack that is caused by a complete blockage of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. Dr. Jackson confirmed Otis’s guess and told him Harbin Clinic cardiothoracic surgeon Dhru Gerard, MD, and the AdventHealth Redmond heart care team were prepping to perform an emergency heart bypass surgery.
Dr. Jackson invited Barbara to visit with Otis before he was taken back to be prepped for surgery. AdventHealth Redmond anesthesiologist Jonathan Wurl, MD, met with the family and told them he would take care of Otis. He then asked if he could pray for them. He laid his hands on Otis’ chest, Barbara put hers on his chest, and they prayed over him.
“I can’t tell you what he said or what he did, but when he finished, I knew my husband was in the right hands,” said Barbara.
Otis’ surgery was a success, and he recovered at AdventHealth Redmond the following week before going home. While in the ICU, Otis recalled nurses who went out of their way to make sure he was comfortable. He remembers one nurse who offered to wash his hair. The care team also looked after Barbara and their sons, encouraging them to rest and praying with them.
“Because of the staff during that seven-day period, it was easier for me to be at peace and not to be afraid because those people who were called to their jobs at Redmond were being the hands and feet of Christ. Not just to Otis, but to me and our sons,” said Barbara.
Over the next 12 weeks, Otis completed cardiac rehab at AdventHealth Redmond, where he again was amazed and grateful for the patience and kindness of the team. In rehab, he learned how to slow down and watch his heart rate and function, which was challenging for him as a longtime runner to not push himself too fast.
Otis’ experience is one of many success stories in AdventHealth Redmond’s long history as a cardiac care provider. The hospital has been a regional leader in heart care for more than 50 years, but it is one of the newest additions to the AdventHealth system. Now, along with AdventHealth Gordon and AdventHealth Murray, AdventHealth Redmond is part of a network that provides the entire Northwest Georgia region with state-of-the-art cardiology services.
Doctors have been performing open-heart surgeries at AdventHealth Redmond, formerly Redmond Regional Medical Center, since 1986. The site continues to host some 300 such operations each year and is also earning a reputation for offering less-invasive procedures aimed at treating diseases and disorders of the heart’s valves, chambers and walls.
Since 2016, AdventHealth Redmond’s Structural Heart Program has overseen some 400 transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures to treat aortic stenosis, a thickening of the aortic valve that disrupts its ability to open fully. In 2019, the hospital began offering MitraClip, a catheter-guided procedure to repair leaky heart valves, and in 2021, surgeons at AdventHealth Redmond began performing left atrial appendage occlusions, which seal off a part of the heart’s left atrium known for forming stroke-inducing blood clots.
For its efforts, the hospital has been recognized at the national level. Fortune and Merative — a data, analytics and technology partner for the health care industry — ranked AdventHealth Redmond among their 100 Top Hospitals for 2022 and was named the number one teaching hospital on the list, based on its excellence in clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience and financial health. They also placed AdventHealth Redmond on its list of the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals of 2022, which showcases leading shortterm, acute-care facilities in the U.S.
AdventHealth Redmond’s commitment to providing emergency care services earned it a level one designation by the Georgia Department of Health. This designation is Georgia’s highest level of emergency care and means a hospital can perform open heart surgery and interventional cardiac catheterizations. This means patients can receive emergency heart care close to home when every minute counts.
That spectrum of services now also includes roboticassisted thoracic surgery at AdventHealth Redmond. On August 18, 2022, a surgical team there performed the first such procedure in Northwest Georgia using the da Vinci Surgical System. Traditionally, thoracic surgery requires a large incision across the sides of the ribs to access the lungs, esophagus and chest cavity. The da Vinci Surgical System enables the surgeon to utilize several small incisions instead and use magnified 3D views of the surgical area.
“The recovery time for patients is much easier all around, whether the doctors are just taking a peek or doing a biopsy,” said Melanie McCary, RN, CNOR, director of surgical services at AdventHealth Redmond. “Patients can usually go home in just a day or two.”
Those receiving outpatient cardiovascular services at AdventHealth Redmond also benefit from the hospital’s subsequent rehabilitation services to get patients back on their feet again. The cardiac rehabilitation program is a continuation of the complete heart care patients receive after they are out of surgery.
Patients begin rehab phase one while still in the hospital by walking and strengthening their muscles. During phase two, patients take a stress test which is used to plan their customized exercise program. Over the next 12 weeks, they slowly build up their heart’s strength while performing EKG-monitored exercises, coached by experienced specialized nurses and exercise physiologists.
AdventHealth’s focus on addressing patients’ overall health instead of just physical health can make all the difference for a patient like Otis. He claims that his experience with AdventHealth Redmond’s cardiac surgery and cardiac rehab teams was life-changing.
“Nearly 12 weeks later, I know the entire cardiac team has been successful. My heart is stronger and is continuing to improve every day. AdventHealth Redmond is an asset to Rome and Floyd County,” said Otis. “They saved my life.”