On Monday, the 55-year-old Manahawkin resident went to see his doctor, Walter Miller, M.D., a family physician on staff at Southern Ocean Medical Center.
As part of his exam, Dr. Miller performed an electrocardiogram, and he quickly discovered Bill was having a heart attack. Immediately, Bill was sent to the emergency department (ED).
"The expert staff in the emergency department at Southern Ocean Medical Center got me stabilized very quickly," Bill says. Cardiologist Renato Apolito, M.D., determined he needed treatment to restore blood flow to his heart.
One Network of Care
Because Southern Ocean Medical Center is part of Meridian CardioVascular Network, Bill benefited from easy access to the region's leading heart and vascular specialists at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
Dr. Apolito, on staff at both Southern Ocean and Jersey Shore, helped facilitate Bill's easy transfer from Manahawkin to Neptune, enabling him to bypass the ED at Jersey Shore and head straight to the cardiac catheterization lab. It was determined he had multiple blockages in his coronary arteries.
It was a complex case, requiring a quadruple bypass. Cardiothoracic surgeon Brook DeJene, M.D., performed the procedure. Bill was able to return home just five days later.
Experts in Rehab
By fall, Bill had completed three months of cardiac rehabilitation at Southern Ocean. He raves about the personal attention he received in the program, where his regimen included stretching, lifting light weights, walking on the treadmill, and riding the stationary bike.
Lorraine Callahan, R.N., coordinator of cardiac rehabilitation, and her staff help patients learn to make lifestyle changes — and keep in close contact with their physicians.
"I know all the doctors," Lorraine says. "If I discover that a patient is having a problem, their doctor hears from me immediately. It's all about helping patients get back to their lives to the fullest extent possible."
Continuing Care Close to Home
Bill receives his follow-up medical care from Southern Ocean cardiologist Michael Aaron, D.O. Dr. Aaron says patients appreciate being able to receive that care close to home with doctors in Meridian CardioVascular Network. "The specialists who have treated Bill belong to the same cardiology group, so we have easy access to all Bill's records," Dr. Aaron says. "There's continuity of care, and that contributes to great outcomes."
Today, Bill has fully recovered. He's back at his job as a radio station maintenance engineer and feeling great.
About the Doctor
- Michael Aaron, D.O.
Cardiology
Manahawkin, NJ | 609-971-3300
