Emanuel's New Heart Services Will Save Lives - Emanuel Medical ...

SUMMER 2010
Referring to and Receiving Heart Care
Dr. Ronald Arakelian
As an internist, Dr. Ronald Arakelian
specializes in treating older adults.
“Because they’re older, a number of them
have heart disease,” he said
In a typical week, about two of
Dr. Arakelian’s patients will need
advanced cardiac diagnostic work –
something that wasn’t available at
Emanuel Medical Center until the
Cardiac Cath and Interventional Lab
opened in April 2010.
The benefits are already apparent.
“The main benefit is having rapid access to
diagnostic heart catheterization,” he said.
“This results in fewer patient problems, and
patients not having to stay in the hospital
or be transferred to another facility.”
Although he’s not directly involved in
Emanuel’s new cardiac services program,
Dr. Arakelian supports the new services
because they will benefit the community
and his patients. He likes what he’s seen
so far.
“When you’re establishing a catheterization
lab, you need to have state-of-the-art
6
Dr. Ronald Arakelian, Internist
equipment and Emanuel does,” he said.
“Then, most importantly, you need excellent
personnel – the cardiologists and staff that
assist them.
“At Emanuel, we have excellent
interventional cardiologists who can
successfully perform diagnostic studies, but
also are skilled at interventional procedures
like balloon angioplasties and stenting.”
So sharing Emanuel’s vision for
comprehensive cardiac services is natural
for Dr. Arakelian.
It’s one more way to take care of
his patients.
Walnut buyer Bob Ferrel, and his wife Cherlynn
Bob Ferrel
Bob Ferrel’s chest pains began about 12
years ago, when he was 55. Not wanting
to worry his wife Cherlynn, Ferrel didn’t
say anything.
“It got so that when I was mowing the
lawn, I could only mow two strips before I
had to rest,” he said. “Finally it got so bad
that one night she just looked at me and
knew something was wrong and we went
to the Emergency Room at Emanuel.”
He was admitted to the hospital and had
more pain that night and lay awake in
his room.
“I knew Emanuel didn’t have cardiac
facilities,” he said. “Fortunately, I didn’t
have a heart attack,” he said. “In that I
was lucky.”
But Ferrel also knows he cut it close, and
that if he had suffered a heart attack the
distance to Modesto might have been
more than he could have survived.
“By the time it takes to get to another heart
facility, it could have been the end,”
he said.
Since that incident, Ferrel has taken better
care of his heart. He changed his diet and
tries to exercise pretty regularly. And he
was thrilled when he found out this year’s
Legacy Circle campaign would advance
cardiovascular services in Turlock.
The Ferrels have been steady Legacy
Circle donors since the annual giving
campaign began 10 years ago.
“We’re not huge donors. Not everybody
can donate thousands and thousands of
dollars,” he said. “But I believe if you’re
able to donate something you should.
It’s a good cause and it’s good for
the community.”
And Ferrel knows there’s another good
argument for helping bring quality cardiac
care to the community: It can save
your life.