Vim & Vigor - Fall 2018 - Community Healthcare - 8

medical director of cardiology services
at Community Hospital in Munster.
"We have grown into an organization that is providing the level of care
that was previously only available at
top-notch academic institutions. This
not only includes cardiac and vascular surgeries such as heart bypass, but
also advanced cardiovascular imaging,
minimally invasive heart and vascular interventions, as well as aggressive peripheral vascular approaches
designed to save limbs, just to name
a few. We truly offer a deep bench of
talented physicians and capabilities
across the system."
"The routine for cardiologists at many
community hospitals is to take care of
common ailments and transfer the more
complex conditions to academic medical centers," adds Kais Yehyawi, MD,
medical director of cardiology services
at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart.
"Since we are fortunate to have the
most advanced technologies in cardiac
care within our own hospitals and can
collaborate fully with a dedicated cardiothoracic surgery team, we can choose
the best available techniques to treat
each individual patient and improve
their quality of life. That is when I know
we have done our jobs providing our
patients with the finest care possible."

A History of 'Firsts'
in Cardiac Care

Groundbreaking excellence in cardiac surgery is a deeply rooted tradition among the cardiac teams of
Community Healthcare System.

St. Catherine Hospital in East
Chicago was among the first in the
region to perform an open-heart surgery. More than 50 years later, the
hospital continues to be a partner in
bringing the most advanced services
to patients in their neighborhoods,
close to home.
"I have been lucky to witness many
advances in medicine over the years,"
says P. Ramon Llobet, MD, medical director of cardiology services at
St. Catherine Hospital. "Many of them
include the ongoing advancement of
treatments for coronary artery disease, including the use of drug-coated
balloons for angioplasties."
Llobet says cardiology and cardiac surgery have changed dramatically since he first started in the
field. Today's minimally invasive
techniques offer patients shorter
hospital stays, smaller surgical incisions, less scar tissue, less trauma
to the body, less pain, reduced risk
of infection and a quicker return to
daily activities.
"As a cardiologist, I work closely
with all members of our surgical team
to ensure we are offering our patients
the best approach for successfully
treating their disease," he says. "I feel
that we have a camaraderie among
our surgeons that actually benefits the
patient. We make the collective decision whether treatment for their condition should be surgery or stents or a
minimally invasive procedure. The end
result is providing the best outcome
for our patients." ■

HEART
EXPERTS

Samer Abbas, MD

Michael Eng, MD

P. Ramon Llobet, MD

WEBSITE

Complete Cardiovascular Care
For more information about cardiothoracic surgeries at the hospitals
of Community Healthcare System, visit comhs.org/heart.

FAL L 2 0 1 8

Kais Yehyawi, MD

http://www.comhs.org/heart

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2018 - Community Healthcare