.gif)
Merrimack Valley Cardiology News
We are proud to report that both our echocardiogram laboratory as well as our nuclear laboratory are nationally accredited and the first and only in the area to be certified by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL) and The Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear
Medicine Laboratories (ICANL).
We are delighted that Dr. Benjamin Smith, an electrophysiologist (cardiologist specializing in the electrical tissue of the heart), joined our group in August, 2007. He performs complex electrophysiologic procedures including diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias, ablations for certain types of arrhythmias as well as implantation of pacemaker and defibrillators. He is the current head of the Electrophysiology Lab at Lowell General Hospital.
In December 2007, Dr. Omar Ali gave a well-received lecture on heart attacks for Chelmsford first responders including the Fire Department, EMT's and Police Department.
In December 2007, Dr. Walter Jo was elected as Medical Executive Committee Member-at-Large at Lowell General Hospital.
Dr. Richard Birkhead and Dr.Omar Ali worked together with Lowell General Hospital staff to develop a protocol to cool patients urgently who have suffered from a cardiac arrest. This new technique has been shown in recent trials to improve patient survival.
In January 2008, Dr. James Waters worked with Saints Medical Center to help to provide cardiovascular screening for first responders including firefighters, police, ambulance and support personnel.
Dr. Arash Tabaee organized another successful cardiac ultrasound conference at Saints Medical Center for physicians and technicians.
As Chief of Cardiology at Saints Medical Center, Dr. Robert Shulman has been working for the past 3 months to bring a new, computerized EKG system to the hospital which should be up and running in early 2008.
Sharon E. Hamel, R.N., B.S.N, with the help of Kathy Curtis, R.N., M.S.N. and Pat Moysenko, R.N., M.S.N. of Saints Medical Center, successfully provided classes and certified the entire MVC staff in Basic Life Support.