Access to Cardiac Care When It Counts
Cardiologists at RVH are used to seeing a rise in cardiac cases around this time of year. Holiday stress, and the physical tolls of winter like shovelling, results in more people needing care. Dr. Deif attends to many of the cardiac patients that come through the doors of RVH every day.
It was just another Monday when Brad Ross woke up on February 27th of this year. His morning started out as usual, with some coffee, breakfast, and a light workout. That’s when he noticed he was struggling to catch his breath.
Brad was having a heart attack. His wife called 911, enacting the CODE STEMI protocol. In less than an hour, he was at RVH receiving lifesaving treatment from the advanced cardiac care team at RVH.
One of the cardiologists attending to Brad’s care was, Dr. Bishoy Deif.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is knowing that my team’s skills and training are coming to the aid of someone when they need it most,” says Dr. Deif, “I know that we would not be able to do what we do if not for donors like you, and I’m so grateful for that.”
“RVH’s STEMI protocol, ensures that patients reach our cardiac team within 120 minutes. Last year, 370 patients received Code STEMI treatment thanks to your support.”
Dr. Bishoy Deif, RVH Cardiologist
Brad’s story is not a unique one. RVH is the destination for those experiencing a heart attack throughout Simcoe Muskoka. The Code STEMI protocol brings patients to RVH’s advanced heart team within 120 minutes of first medical contact. Last year, more than 370 patients were treated at RVH through Code STEMI.
Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada. Its prevalence means that Dr. Deif and the rest of RVH’s advanced cardiac care teams are planning for the future. In the next decade, our Cardiac Intervention Unit (CIU) and Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) spaces will need to expand to increase capacity for the volume of patients we’re expecting.
The expansion will also allow RVH to offer cardiac diagnostics and clinics at the Innisfil site, reducing the stress on our current location in Barrie and bringing cardiac care closer to home for residents of South Simcoe.
The lifesaving work that Dr. Deif and RVH’s Simcoe Muskoka Regional Heart Program team are doing every day, would not be possible without donor support.
“I have the honour of working alongside the impact of your generosity daily. As a cardiologist at RVH, I am in awe of the lives we’re able to touch because community support helped bring advanced cardiac care to our region.”
Dr. Bishoy Deif, RVH Cardiologist
Donor generosity is what puts lifesaving medicine into action, making stories like Brad’s possible. Donations to RVH will help to fund lifesaving equipment, build state-of-the-art clinical spaces, and bring world-class, specialized care to our region. The impact of that is far reaching.
Donate today to expand RVH so we can bring more specialized, world-class care to more patients here in Simcoe Muskoka.
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