Jones named director of Heart and Vascular Center at UM SRH – The Star Democrat

EASTON University of Maryland Shore Regional Health has appointed Gary Jones as the first director of the newly established Heart and Vascular Center at UM SRH.

The alignment of the cardiology and vascular service lines as the Heart and Vascular Center reflects a standard practice across University of Maryland Medical System and reflects Shore Regional Healths comprehensive list of cardiovascular services.

Jones most recently served as regional director, Cardiovascular Services.

UM Shore Regional Heath has a history of establishing a number of specialty services in cardiovascular care over the years, including a non-invasive Vascular Lab, Sleep Disorders Centers at all three hospitals, a diagnostic Cardiac Cath Lab, cardiac rhythm device implantation services, Atlantic C-PORT Trial, cardiac rehab services at UM Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown and Dorchester, expanded cardiovascular services in Easton and Queenstown, and emergency PCI research. In 2016, cardiac electrophysiology and interventional cardiology including primary and elective angioplasty were added, and in 2017, the Cardiac Interventional Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton was established.

We recognized that there has been a great deal of growth in the Cardiology Department," Jone said. "Recent growth has enabled the department to offer pre- and post-cardiovascular procedures, which required additional staff and additional training needed to establish three call teams for the Cardiac Cath Lab.

As a result of this growth in services and staffing, Jones and the Cardiology Governance Committee, which includes members of senior leadership and cardiology medical directors, conducted extensive research to ascertain how these services were structured at other UMMS facilities. After review, the Heart and Vascular Center was established to provide a more standardized structure for the delivery of comprehensive heart and vascular services.

Heart and Vascular Center offerings include Cardiac Cath Lab procedures such as cardiac electrophysiology to treat patients whose heart rhythms need correction, including installing device implants such as pacemakers and defibrillators that help regulate arrhythmias, and diagnostic catheterization, which can assess the presence of blocked heart vessels or arteries. The Cath Lab also offers percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, formerly referred to as angioplasty with stent), which is used to treat coronary artery disease.

Also included under the Heart and Vascular Center umbrella are UM Shore Medical Group-Cardiology; cardiovascular diagnostics; vascular laboratories at UM Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown, Dorchester and Easton; five diagnostic centers; and Cardio-Pulmonary Rehabilitation at all three hospitals.

The Heart and Vascular Center aligns with where we are headed in the future, which will include an increase in vascular services offerings for our communities, as well as continuing to provide life-saving emergency cardiac care services to our five-county region, Jones said. Our patients have convenient access to very comprehensive cardiovascular care, close to home.

Jones says establishment of the Heart and Vascular Center would not have been possible without the support of Shore Regional Healths medical staff, board of directors, senior leadership, Department of Nursing and critical care units, departmental leadership and a strong working relationship with the five-county Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems Region IV emergency service agencies.

The UM Memorial Hospital Foundation recently announced an annual year-end appeal goal of $200,000 for the purchase of a new cardiac ultrasound machine and two other pieces of equipment for the Heart and Vascular Center.

The ultrasound machine, the GE E90, is a state-of-the-art non-invasive technology that will help physicians examine the hearts chambers, walls, valves and vessels by using breakthrough software to enhance image quality, gain reproducible results and enhance workflows. To make a donation, visit ummhfoundation.org/19yeappeal or mail your check to UM Memorial Hospital Foundation, 219 S. Washington St., Easton, MD 21601.

Eleven providers are affiliated with the Heart and Vascular Center at UM SRH, including: Drs. Jeffrey Etherton, S. Robert Hanna Jr., R. Bruce Helmly Jr., John Condit Jr., M. Christadoss Rajasingh, Benjamin Remo, Gabriel Sardi, Timothy Shanahan and Ivan Pena; and nurse practitioners Patricia Lancaster and Clare Ross.

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Jones named director of Heart and Vascular Center at UM SRH - The Star Democrat