In this new section, I wanted to highlight those in the medical field who have gone above and beyond. However, this time it will be coming from the people who deal with medical personnel on a first-hand basis: the patients. In every installment of this section, we will get a patient’s point of view of who they think is the best EP doctor or allied professional.

From Lee Roush (www.heart-help.net):
       I do know some extraordinary folks from the EP department at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital (in New York) and Valley Hospital (in Ridgewood, New Jersey). The team services both hospitals.
       The head of the group is Dr. Jonathan Steinberg, and one of his EPs is Margot Vloka. Their nurse practitioner is Nada Farhat.
• This team has initiated a patient support group with guest speakers, which has been very helpful to their patients.
• Secondly, I am a bit of a “chicken” when it comes to NIPS testing or putting in and “trying” out the ICD (am on my second unit). These folks have used anesthesia (not general), but rather a combination that makes it possible for me to breeze through the procedures not feeling or remembering anything. They are very thoughtful and thorough in this regard.
• Dr. Vloka counselled me one Christmas Day, when I received my first shock. We were on the phone for about 10 minutes so she could explain everything to me and put my mind at ease.
• Nada is a nurse practitioner and does the ICD interrogations. She is knowledgable, thorough and very patient with questions.
       The team has also helped me with the “psychological” problems of dealing with an ICD, plus having to take Cordarone because of VT/VF. We have even discussed when and under what circumstances the ICD would be turned off.
       Phone calls are returned promptly, and in my personal opinion, they are just the best at what they do. (And being an EP isn’t easy!)
       These doctors also have a web site at: www.arrhythmia.org.

How to get involved:

- Do you have a patient who would like to add to this column? If they have a nomination, please have them contact Managing Editor Jodie Elrod at“jelrod@hmpcommunications.com”, including in their email the reasons why they chose the hospital and staff as being the best. Their entry could appear in an upcoming issue of EP Lab Digest!