Good Samaritan Campaign for Cardiology

Good Samaritan Campaign for Cardiology

Saving lives with a

new generation of

cardiac care

Over the past decade, cardiac subspecialties such as electrophysiology, interventional cardiology and cardiac imaging, among others – have transformed heart care and saved countless lives. Good Samaritan was one of the first hospitals in the country to make several groundbreaking therapies available to large numbers of people.

Today, Good Samaritan needs your help to continue its tradition of innovation and excellence. We face some stiff challenges: treatment facilities filled to capacity, and the need for ongoing investment to keep pace with changing technologies.

With the help of community leaders like you, we are more than equal to the task. The Good Samaritan Campaign for Cardiology will raise funds to build world-class diagnostic and treatment laboratories, purchase cutting-edge equipment, and recruit and retain highly skilled clinicians. What’s more, this campaign will benefit heart patients many years into the future – by educating the next generation of specialized cardiologists and funding important research into new cures for heart disease.

The ongoing strength of cardiology at Good Samaritan is in your hands. We are most grateful for your partnership in helping to bring life-saving medical advances to our community.

Sincerely,

David Cannom, MD

A Message from Dr. David S. Cannom

David Cannom, MD is the Director of Cardiology at Good Samaritan Hospital and the founder of Los Angeles Cardiology Associates. Dr. Cannom is internationally recognized as an expert in electrophysiology and the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias, and his patients come from throughout the United States and many parts of the world.



Founded in 1985, the Good Samaritan Heart Institute brings together internationally recognized physicians whose work as researchers and educators serves to enhance the quality of patient care. As an academic medical center, Good Samaritan offers a level of physician expertise and access to leading-edge treatments rarely found at the typical community hospital. Good Samaritan attracts thousands of heart patients from the greater Los Angeles region, nationally and beyond, and its cardiologists routinely accept complex and challenging cases referred by other physicians and cardiologists.

The hospital’s accomplishments in heart care are many:

• GoodSamaritanoperatesahigh-volumeclinicalprogramthatperformshundredsofheartsurgeriesand6,000cardiaccatheterizationsperyear.

• GoodSamaritanelectrophysiologistshaveperformedradiofrequencyablations(RFA)since1991.Today,thehospitaloperatesoneofthelargestablationprogramsinSouthernCalifornia.

• In1987,thehospitallaunchedauniqueheartattacktransportprogramthatbringsemergencyreferralstoGoodSamaritanfromotherfacilities,24hoursaday,7daysaweek.Sincethen,nearly20,000patientshavebeenspedtolife-savingcareatGoodSamaritanviaintensivecareambulancesandaircraft.Toreceivethesecriticallyillpatients,thehospital’scoronaryinterventionteamcanmobilizeinthirtyminutesorless,andissupportedbyacardiacsurgicalprogramthatisavailabledayandnight.

• GoodSamaritanhasintegratedstate-of-the-artnoninvasiveimagingintoeveryaspectofitsheartcare,fromscreeninganddiagnosistointerventionaltreatment.Thehospitalhasmadesubstantialinvestmentsinechocardiography,nuclearcardiologyandcomputedtomographicangiography(CTA)

Cardiology at

Good Samaritan Hospital

Case Volume at Good Samaritan Cases Procedures

Peripheral 1079 2978*Coronary 2332 6529*Ablations 430 n/aImplantable Devices 254 n/a

FY2008. *Includes diagnostic procedures.

technologies.Equallyimportant,ithasfosteredacollaborativeenvironmentinwhichinterventionalistsworkside-by-sidewithexpertsinnoninvasivecardiacimaging.

• GoodSamaritan’scardiologistswereamongthefirstintheUnitedStatestoadoptendovascularradiation,drug-coatedstents,rotationalatherectomy.

• GoodSamaritanwasamong24centerstoparticipateinthefirstrandomizedclinicaltrialofimplantablecardiacdefibrillators(ICDs)in1984.Sincethen,thehospital’sresearchershavehadextensiveinvolvementinvirtuallyeverymajorICDtrial,helpingtodemonstratethebenefitofthesedevicesforanever-greaternumberofcardiacpatients.

• GuidelinesforthemanagementofatrialfibrillationnowusedbytheAmericanHeartAssociation,AmericanCollegeofCardiologyandEuropeanSocietyofCardiologywereco-authoredbyaGoodSamaritanelectrophysiologist.

• PatientsfromaroundtheworldhavesoughtoutGoodSamaritan’scardiologistsfortheirexpertiseintheuseofstentgraftdevicestotreatthoracicandabdominalaorticaneurysms.

• GoodSamaritancardiologistsandcardiacsurgeonsareworkingtosavethelivesofpatientswithinoperablecoronaryarterydisease.Afutureresearchprojectwillfocusonanewhigh-energylasertoperformtransmyocardialrevascularization,aprocedurethatimprovesbloodflowtotheheartmuscle.

• GoodSamaritaninterventionalcardiologistsprovideasmanyas130aorticvalvuloplastiesperyear.Theprocedurecanimprovequalityoflifeinpatientstoosickorfrailtoundergovalvereplacementsurgery.

Electrophysiology, or EP, is the study of the electrical system of the heart. The early diagnosis and treatment made possible by EP is preventing heart attacks every day and greatly reducing the need for invasive open-heart surgeries. For example:

• Thankstoatinydevicecalledanimplantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD),high-riskheartattacksurvivorsreceivealife-savingjoltofelectricitywhenevertheheart’sventricularmuscletissuebeatsatahighrate.

• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA),whichdestroysabnormalelectricalpathwaysinhearttissue,isbeingusedtokeeppatientswithdangerouscardiacarrhythmias(irregularheartbeats)aliveandhealthy.

• Arelativelynewprocedure,atrialfibrillationablation,isbeingusedtohelppeoplewithrecurrentatrialfibrillationwhenconventionaltherapiesdon’twork.

Good Samaritan is a recognized leader in EP, with internationally recognized electrophysiologists and prominent role in the development of technologies that have gained worldwide acceptance. Good Samaritan was an early adopter of life-enhancing RFA, including atrial fibrillation ablation, and has provided an average of 430 such procedures per year since 1992 – one of the highest volume ablation programs in California. In addition, more than 250 patients receive ICDs and other implantable devices at Good Samaritan each year.

Leading the way in cardiac

electrophysiology

The success of the EP program at Good Samaritan is further strengthened by the prominent role of noninvasive cardiology. For example, CT angiography is routinely used to provide a three-dimensional anatomic “roadmap” for each patient undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation. And transesophageal and intracardiac echocardiography are often employed in the EP laboratory to provide real-time guidance during key portions of ablation procedures.

The future of EP at Good Samaritan

The advantages of EP ensure that this specialty will continue to grow in volume and importance. Already, Good Samaritan has one of the highest-volume EP laboratories west of the Mississippi, handling an annual caseload of nearly 500 patients.

Expanded EP facilities and equipment will make EP accessible to more people, saving more lives than ever with early diagnosis and treatment.


Patients with severe coronary artery disease (CAD) once faced open-heart surgery to bypass their blocked coronary arteries. Today, CAD patients are far more likely to visit the catheterization laboratory, or “cath lab”, than the traditional operating room.

Unlike open-heart procedures, which require surgeons to open the chest with a major incision, catheter-based procedures require only small incisions in the skin. The interventionalist gains access to the heart by threading an ultrathin catheter through major blood vessels, and uses the catheter to place miniature balloons and stents that reopen blocked arteries and allow normal blood flow to heart tissue. This endovascular approach is both less invasive and lower risk – and has replaced coronary bypass surgery in many clinical situations.

At Good Samaritan, CAD is not the only condition treated in the cath lab. Structural heart defects, damaged valves, peripheral vascular blockages, aortic aneurysms and strokes are addressed with sophisticated endovascular techniques that often combine the use of catheter-based treatment with noninvasive imaging guidance.

The diagnosis and treatment of peripheral artery disease provides another example of how interventional cardiology is making a difference in people’s lives. A particular problem for diabetics, aneurysms and blockages in the peripheral arteries choke off blood supply to the legs and feet, and can even lead to amputations. Fortunately, diseased arteries can often be detected using duplex ultrasound or CT angiography – and repaired in the cath lab with a minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure.

Interventional cardiology:

the forefront of care for vascular disease

Good Samaritan cardiologists performed nearly 3,000 diagnostic and interventional peripheral procedures in the last year, making it one of the country’s highest volume centers for this advanced therapy. With diabetes on the rise, the need for peripheral intervention is only expect to grow.

What’s next for interventional cardiology at Good Samaritan

Interventional cardiology offers great benefit to patients, but many hospitals have only limited interventional services. Successful endovascular surgery requires special training and expertise on the part of the physician – and an array of sophisticated tools and equipment. So it’s no surprise that the catheterization facility at Good Samaritan has reached the limits of its capacity.

With your help, the Campaign for Cardiology will provide new catheterization laboratories, including a specialized lab exclusively for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease. This expansion will enable the hospital’s highly sought interventionalists to care for the growing numbers of diabetics and heart disease patients in urgent need of treatment.

“The physicians of the Heart Institute perform life-saving

work each day and they deliver some of the most

advanced care to the people of southern California . I

know first hand how skilled they are. I’ve had three Pace Makers implanted in the last

twenty years at Good Sam. They have enabled me to

have a great quality of life.”

Mrs. Susan Blumenthal Member, Board of Trustees


Good Samaritan views medical research and physician education as long-term investments in the quality of patient care. Basic science research yields insights that could lead to new cures for heart and vascular disease. Clinical trials help to speed new technologies to patients in urgent need of intervention. And fellowship training allows Good Samaritan’s internationally renowned cardiologists to share their skills and experience with the next generation of leading clinicians and researchers.

• InpartnershipwiththeUniversityofSouthernCalifornia,theGoodSamaritanHeartInstitute’sresearchlaboratoryisworkingtotranslatescientificandclinicalresearchintonewandmoreeffectivetreatments.

• GoodSamaritancardiologistsarecurrentlyparticipatinginmorethan20clinicaltrialsrelatedtoEP,interventionalcardiologyandmedicationtherapy–includinganinnovativestudytoassesswhethermigrainescanbecuredbytherepairofacommonheartdefect.

• AffiliatedwiththeDavidGeffenSchoolofMedicineatUCLA,GoodSamaritan’sfellowshipprogramincludesthreepositionsininterventionalcardiology,twoinelectrophysiologyandoneinnoninvasivecardiology.Inthelast20years,morethan100fellowshavesoughtworld-classtrainingfromGoodSamaritancardiologists.Additionally,since1991,nearly40JapanesecardiologyfellowshavetraveledtoGoodSamaritantostudythetreatmentofcardiacarrhythmias.

The Campaign for Cardiology will fortify Good Samaritan’s important work in cardiac research and education – supporting innovative research and expanding fellowship training opportunities.

A proud tradition of research,

education and innovationAs an active 62-year-old who is also an amputee, I know from direct personal experience that we in Los Angeles

need to equip Good Samaritan Hospital with a vascular lab of such quality that it will provide for situations in which amputations become less frequent or unnecessary.

Five years ago, after contracting a simple

infection, I found that my options for treatment were limited. Through a local healthcare-provider now out of business, I experienced delays in treatment that sadly enough resulted in the loss of my left foot.

The standard of care planned for Good Sam will bring to Los Angeles the quality treatment that is so greatly needed. It will fill a void to provide care that has not been previously available, even to those of us fortunate enough to have excellent insurance coverage.

The Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, Bishop Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles


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The Campaign for Cardiology seeks to raise $25 million to improve patient care, support research, provide the highest level physician training and save more lives threatened by heart disease. Your support will enable the following investments in cardiology at Good Samaritan:

Electrophysiology

• ConstructionoftwonewEPlaboratoriestoincreasecapacityfordiagnosticandtherapeuticprocedures

• ExpansionandupgradeofGoodSamaritan’sexistingEPlaboratory

• Purchaseofasophisticatedroboticsand3Dmappingsystemtofacilitateroutineandatrialfibrillationablation

• Purchaseofnewstate-of-the-artEKGequipmenttomorepreciselyassesselectricalactivityintheheartanddetectdangerousabnormalities

• Continuedrecruitmentofthenation’smosthighlyskilledelectrophysiologists

Interventional Cardiology

• Constructionoftwonewcardiovascularlaboratoriesforthetreatmentofcardiovascularandstructuralheartdisease,includingonededicatedtocombinedsurgicalandendovasculartreatmentandresearch

• Continuedrecruitmentofthenation’smosthighlyskilledinterventionalcardiologists

The future of heart care… todayResearch and Education

• Ongoingfundsforbasicscienceresearchtoexplorethemechanismsofheartandvasculardiseaseandidentifypromisingnewavenuesoftherapy

• Clinicaltrialstotestthesafetyandeffectivenessofnewproceduresandtechnologies

• Trainingforthenextgenerationofhighlyskilled,subspecialtycardiologistswithadvancedfellowshipsinEPandinterventionalcardiology

Patient Care, Comfort and Safety

• RedesignoftheinpatientCardiacCriticalCareUnitwithprivaterooms,specializedbeds,newmonitoringsystemsandbedsidediagnosticcomputers

• Creationofanewinpatientrecoveryareadirectlyconnectedtothecriticalcareunit,easingtransitionsfromsurgerytonursingcareforthemostvulnerablepatients

• Upgradeofinpatientnursingstationstoimprovesafetyandqualityofcare

• Expansionofoutpatientcardiologyofficestoincreasecapacityandstrengthenrecruitmentofhighlyskilledcardiologists,electrophysiologistsandinterventionalists

• Constructionofspaciousandcomfortablenewoutpatientcardiologypatientwaitingareas


Good Samaritan has a long and distinguished history of leadership in cardiology. With your help, the next page in that history is about to be written. For more information about

contributing to the Campaign for Cardiology, please call us today at 213-482-2774.

There are many options for making your gift:

• Cash gifts —thesimplestandeasiestgiftsyoucanmake—canbemadethroughcredit/debitcardtransactions,outrightcash,orpersonalchecks,cashier’schecks,ormoneyordersmadepayabletoGoodSamaritanHospital.

• Gifts of appreciated securities, stocks,andbondsalsoprovideconsiderabletaxadvantageswhentransferredtoGoodSamaritanHospitalbeforetheyaresold.Ifyouhaveheldyoursecuritiesformorethanoneyear,youmayfindthatyourgiftwillprovideatwofoldtaxbenefit,creatinganincome-taxdeductionaswellashelpingavoidthecapital-gainstaxthatwouldhavebeendueontheirsale.Youalsomaymakeagiftofmutualfunds,non-marketablestock,orcloselyheldstock.

• Gifts of real estate —includingpersonalresidences,secondhomes,incomeproperty,andvacantland—offerawidevarietyoftaxandotherbenefits.

• Gifts of personal property —includingrarebooks,worksofart,valuablecollectibles,andtangibleitemsofdemonstrablevalue—insomecasesmayenableyoutomakeasignificantgifttosupportGoodSamaritanHospitalwithoutstandingtaxbenefitstoyou.Likewise,giftsofintangiblepersonalproperty,suchascopyrights,patents,andmineralrights,cangenerateincomeonacontinuingbasis.

Planned Gifts

We would be happy to provide information on deferred or planned gifts, including bequests, life-income plans, and other options for your estate—and information about increasing your income, earning valuable income-tax deductions, and reducing your estate taxes.

Matching-Gift Programs

An easy way to double or even triple your donation to Good Samaritan Hospital is to find out if your company has a matching-gift program. Such programs typically match all or a percentage of employee contributions to charitable organizations, making the employer a partner in employees’ personal philanthropy. Simply obtain a matching-gift form from your employer’s personnel office, fill it out, and provide it to Good Samaritan Hospital with y our contribution.

Gift Pledges

Good Samaritan Hospital welcomes your gift through a pledge — a formal statement of intention to make a gift. With a pledge, you may complete your gift by making regular payments over time, allowing you to give more generously than you originally may have considered. What is more, each payment on your pledge is eligible for an income-tax charitable deduction.

For more information, please call Susan Harlow, Vice President of Development at (213) 482-2774.


1225 Wilshire BoulevardLos Angeles, California 90017-2395Development Department: (213) 482-2774www.goodsam.org

Documents

Good Samaritan Campaign for Cardiology