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Heart to Heart
Your resource for heart health
Fall/Winter 2014
Horse trainer survives
heart attack at fair
Caregivers work together seamlessly to save his life.
By Maraline Kubik
Shake Danny Trent’s hand and
you know immediately that he’s a
working man, a hard-working man.
His hands are worn, rough with
calluses that come from 50 years
training horses.
His face lights up when he talks
about the horses he’s trained,
especially Haha, the colt who
won race #6 at the Canfield Fair.
he had a heart condition. “I don’t go
to doctors,” he says.
Two security guards saw him go
down and rushed to help. They
called for paramedics and started
CPR. When paramedics arrived two
minutes later, Danny had no pulse,
no respiration. They shocked him
Haha also won races in two
other cities, but it’s Danny who
may be the biggest winner. He
survived what many people
don’t — a heart attack that
rendered him unconscious
moments after settling Haha
into his stall at the fair.
Danny, a resident of Delaware,
Ohio, went to fill a bucket of
water for his horse and doesn’t
remember what happened next.
What he does know is that if it
weren’t for a team of healthcare
providers who worked together
seamlessly, he wouldn’t be around
to talk about it.
He suffered a massive heart
attack just outside the speed barn
at the fair and collapsed.
“I been short of breath every once
in a while, but I’d just sit down,” he
says, explaining that he didn’t know
to doctors in the emergency
room at St. Elizabeth Youngstown
Hospital, speeding his diagnosis
so treatment could begin as soon
as he arrived.
When the ambulance arrived at
St. E’s, Danny was immediately
taken to the cardiac cath lab where
Dr. Wahoub Hout, a cardiologist/
interventionalist, performed
a cardiac catheterization that
determined he needed heart bypass
surgery. Danny had blockages in
three of his major heart arteries.
The following morning Dr. Jeffrey
Fulton, a cardiothoracic surgeon at
St. E’s, performed a triple coronary
artery bypass on Danny’s heart.
Danny Trent holds a teddy bear that all
open-heart surgery patients receive.
Patients hold the bear against their
chests to help ease pain.
twice with an automated external
defibrillator, started an IV and
performed a 12-lead EKG.
The EKG transmitted critical
information about Danny’s condition
“I was afraid, but I knew I had to
have it. I wasn’t going to walk out
alive if I didn’t,” Danny says. Then,
his voice rising and eyes opening
wide, Danny adds, “These are
one heck of doctors here on this
hospital staff – they brought me
back alive. Not too many people
survive what I went through.”
Danny was released from St.
Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital
the Saturday after his surgery with
plans to rest. “I can visit my horse;
I just can’t do no work,” he smiled,
grateful to be alive.
WALKING THEIR WAY TO HEART HEALTH …
Heart Walk Participants
Promote Physical Activity
New Valve Clinic at
St. Elizabeth Offers
Team Approach to
Patient Care
St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital
is enhancing the care of heart
patients by taking a team approach
to their care. Thanks to a new Valve
Clinic and new approach to care,
patients can have their heart valve
problems diagnosed during a single
trip to the hospital.
“Historically, Mercy Health Youngstown, formerly Humility of Mary
Health Partners, has been the first
to bring new cardiac procedures
to the Mahoning Valley,” says
Mariann Pacak, RN, MHHS, director
of cardiac services at St. E’s. “With
our new Valve Clinic, we’re once
again bringing a first-of-its-kind
service to the tri-county area.”
At the Valve Clinic, patients
are seen by cardiologists and
cardiothoracic surgeons who
work collaboratively with other
heart specialists and primary care
physicians. The healthcare team
uses echocardiograms and other
tests necessary to accurately and
quickly diagnose patients’ heart
valve diseases. Proudly wearing matching red T-shirts, employees and friends of Mercy
Health Youngstown raised a substantial sum for the American Heart
Association when they participated in the annual Heart Walk this fall.
Roughly 2,000 people participated
in the annual 1.25-mile American
Heart Association (AHA) Heart
Walk in September. Sponsored in
part by St. Elizabeth Health System,
the event promoted physical
activity while raising funds for the
AHA’s cardiovascular research and
2 Heart to Heart Fall/Winter 2014
education programs. The Heart
Walk is part of the My Heart, My
Life program encouraging all
Americans to take control of their
health by changing the way they
approach it.
The AHA’s goal is to reduce death
and disability from cardiovascular
disease and stroke by 20 percent
by the year 2020. Put this lifesaving
goal on your personal “to-do” list.
NEW EQUIPMENT PINPOINTS
FAULTY SPOTS IN HEARTS
St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital
recently installed new equipment
in its cardiac catheterization
(cath) laboratory that can more
accurately pinpoint the location of
problem spots within the arteries
of your heart. Cardiac (heart)
catheterization is a diagnostic
procedure that uses special
X-rays to view the arteries and
chamber of your heart.
Catheterization helps doctors
diagnose heart conditions like
coronary artery disease, defective
heart valves or congenital defects
and provides important information
about your heart’s ability to
pump blood.
Meet Dr. Amorn
Heart Specialist Focuses on Building World-Class Program at St. Elizabeth
Eat your heart out, Los Angeles!
Allen Amorn, MD, FHRS, has moved
to Youngstown.
Formerly a member of a cardiology
group in the Los Angeles area, Dr.
Amorn is a staff physician at St.
Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital,
where he specializes in cardiac
electrophysiology (which involves
diagnosing and treating problems
with electrical systems of the heart).
The move to Youngstown brings
Dr. Amorn back home. He grew
up in Canfield and graduated from
Cardinal Mooney High School. “I
have a strong family background
in the medical field,” he says. “My
father is a gastroenterologist, and
my mother is an RN who worked at
St. Elizabeth. I admired what they
did and knew it was something I
aspired toward.”
WHAT DREW HIM TOWARD
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY
“During med school, I found
myself enjoying cardiology,”
he says. “Many of my mentors
were electrophysiologists, and
I realized that I enjoy offering
patients a lifesaving service when
they are in critical need. Thanks
to electrophysiology, we can use
minimally invasive procedures to
dramatically improve the quality
of patients’ lives.”
WHERE HE WENT TO SCHOOL
After earning a bachelor’s degree
in combined sciences from
Youngstown State University,
Dr. Amorn earned his medical
doctor degree from Northeast
Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)
in 2004. He served an internal
medicine residency at CedarsSinai Medical Center in Los
Angeles, a cardiology fellowship
at Kaiser Permanente in the
“I enjoy offering patients a lifesaving
service when they are in critical need.
Thanks to electrophysiology, we can
use minimally invasive procedures to
dramatically improve the quality of
patients’ lives.”
llen Amorn, MD, FHRS, electrophysiologist,
A
St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital
Greater Los Angeles area, and
an electrophysiology fellowship
through the Heart Rhythm Society
(FHRS) at Cedars-Sinai.
HOW HE RACKED UP AWARDS
Dr. Amorn was named among “The
Leading Physicians of the World”
by the International Association of
Cardiologists, took honors as one
of the “Top 10 Cardiologists” in
Arcadia, California, and was listed
among “Super Doctors® Rising
Stars™” in a special section of Los
Angeles Magazine.
WHY HE CHOSE TO PRACTICE
AT ST. ELIZABETH
“I think St. Elizabeth has developed
a strong foundation for a heart
program,” he says. “I have a lot of
colleagues and friends here, and
our hope is to build a world-class
cardiovascular program with new
services and treatment options.”
HOW HE FIXES PROBLEMS
THAT STUMP OTHERS
“In the Los Angeles area, my
colleagues and I handled
arrhythmias that other doctors
didn’t want to deal with,” notes
Dr. Amorn. “I had one patient in
particular who was especially
grateful. She was only in her 30s
and had an arrhythmia caused
by an extra electrical pathway to
the heart. A number of her family
members had died from this heart
abnormality, and she was scared.
“During a single, two-hour
procedure, I totally cured her
arrhythmia and simultaneously
reduced her risk of sudden death,”
he says, “She’ll never need a
repeat procedure.”
HOW HE IMPROVED HIS
LIFESTYLE
WHAT SERVICES HE OFFERS
“In LA, I spent far too much time
driving, but in Youngstown, I have
a better lifestyle, as well as family
support for our young children.”
Dr. Amorn treats cardiac
arrhythmias, including atrial
fibrillation (Afib) and ventricular
tachycardia (VT). He implants
pacemakers and defibrillators,
manages cardiac resynchronization
therapy (CRT) and performs
advanced catheter ablations.
Dr. Amorn’s wife, Alicia, is a family
medicine physician. The couple has
a baby and a toddler. “I spend as
much time with the kids as I can,”
says Dr. Amorn. “I’m also an avid
golfer and do a regular exercise
routine three to five days a week.”
Heart to Heart Fall/Winter 2014 3
TELL YOUR WEIGHT TO ‘GET LOST!’
Safeguard your heart by following rel
weight-loss advice from medical expe
Think it’s too hard to lose weight?
Maybe you first need to lose the
negative attitude. You can shed
pounds if you adopt a positive
attitude and commit to changing
your lifestyle. Instead of looking to
fad diets, pills or other quick fixes,
follow the sensible advice below
from the medical experts at St.
Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.
If you’re overweight, it is important
to lose weight because those excess
pounds place you at higher risk for
heart disease, stroke, high blood
pressure, diabetes and additional
health problems. Unfortunately,
nearly 70 percent of adults in the
United States are either overweight
or obese and nearly 13 million
(about 17 percent) of American
children ages 2 to 19 are obese.
“Even if you lose only a few pounds,
you can gain cardiovascular
benefits, says cardiologist Kwon
Miller, D.O. “Losing weight is really
about gaining a new lifestyle. It’s
about exercising more, eating fewer
fats, sugars and other bad foods
and eating more healthy foods. And
it all starts with educating yourself
on what’s healthy and what’s not.”
To learn more about healthy eating,
we turned to Karen Hahn, registered
dietitian at SEHC. “In order to lose
excess pounds, people need to
think in terms of living a healthy
lifestyle,” she says. “They’re not
going on a diet; they’re going on
a lifelong journey toward health.
4 Heart to Heart Fall/Winter 2014
There are all kinds of tricks people
can use to help them along their
journey.”
Before we list these tricks, let’s talk
about weight loss in general terms.
Although you may have heard many
of these weight-loss tenets before,
they bear repeating.
GENERAL TIPS
• Pay attention to your body. Think
about how awful you can feel
when you overeat. Then imagine
having the will power to stop
eating before you get stuffed.
Eat slowly while drinking plenty
of calorie-free liquids (like water)
in between bites. As soon as you
start to feel satisfied, push away
your plate and push yourself away
from the table.
• Eat several small meals a day.
Rather than gorging yourself (and
stretching out your stomach) with
a couple large meals, consume
at least three meals a day. It is
better to eat several small meals
throughout the day than to eat
just a couple big ones.
• Wait before eating again. If you
still feel hungry or unsatisfied
after a meal or snack, wait at
least 10 minutes before having
more food. Start an activity (like
walking, reading or cleaning)
that distracts you from eating.
When you divert your attention
from food, it is likely that you can
forget about your craving.
• Drink plenty of calorie-free
fluids. You may actually be more
thirsty than hungry. Fill your
stomach with water, tea or coffee
(minus sugar and cream).
• Opt for low-fat foods. Choose
lean meats, low-fat or nonfat
cheese and skim or 1% milk rather
than higher fat items. If a recipe
requires a fat, use a “good fat” like
olive oil rather than butter or lard.
• Consume plenty of fiber. Since
it expands, fiber makes you feel
fuller. So eat an abundance of
high-fiber cereals and other whole
grains, fruits, vegetables and
other high-fiber foods.
• Cut back on sugar. Avoid regular
sodas, cut back on juices and
learn to enjoy your coffee and tea
without sugar.
• Limit alcohol intake. Try to
restrict yourself to no more than
two or three beers or glasses of
wine per week.
• Eat only in designated areas.
Keep all food in the kitchen and
eat only in a chosen spot, such as
at the table. Do not eat in the car
or bedroom or in front of the TV.
FOOD PREPARATION TIPS
• Plan meals in advance.
• Use healthy cooking methods,
such as:
1. Baking, broiling, roasting or
boiling without adding fat.
Do not fry foods.
liable
erts
2.Using nonstick cooking sprays
or cooking with wine, broth or
fruit juice rather than butter
or oil.
3.Cooking with low-calorie foods
instead of high-calorie ones.
For example, substitute 2%
milk for cream or applesauce
for oil in baked goods.
4.Preparing only what you need
for one meal – so that you’re
not tempted to eat leftovers.
5.Putting away leftovers for
future meals and storing them
in opaque containers that you
cannot see through.
6.Avoiding cooking when you are
hungry. A good idea is to cook
and refrigerate your next meal
immediately after finishing a
current one.
7. Making fruits, vegetables and
other low-calorie foods a part
of each meal.
8.Drinking water while cooking.
MEALTIME TIPS
• Drink a glass of water before
eating and continue to drink
plenty of water during a meal.
• Use small dishes. You can mound
less food on small plates and
in bowls, glasses and serving
spoons. At the same time, you
can trick yourself into thinking
you’re eating more (since your
small dish will look fuller).
• Fill your plate with correct
proportions. Imagine that your
plate is divided into four equal
parts. Fill one part with meat,
one with a starch like rice,
potatoes or pasta, and the
other half with non-starchy
vegetables like lettuce, broccoli
and green beans.
• Place serving dishes away
from the table so that it is
difficult to help yourself to
seconds.
• Do not mix dressings into
your salad. Instead, place
dressings on the side and
dip your fork into it before
spearing a bite
of salad.
• Sit in a different place
at the table. This can
help discourage you
from slipping back
into old habits.
• Make mealtimes
special by using nice
dishes, glasses and
cloth napkins.
• Eat slowly. Cut one bite
at a time, put down
your fork between
bites and take several
one-minute breaks
from eating during
meals.
continued on page 6
Heart to Heart Fall/Winter 2014 5
Got heart
attack
symptoms?
DON’T DRIVE!
CALL 911 INSTEAD.
Now there’s another reason
not to drive your car to the
hospital when experiencing heart
attack symptoms. St. Elizabeth
Youngstown Hospital has opened
an additional electrocardiograph
(EKG) receiving station in
Andover, Ohio.
An EKG receiving station is an
emergency department (ED) that
can receive electrocardiograph
(EKG) readings transmitted by
emergency medical personnel
(EMS providers). When a patient
calls 911 with heart attack
symptoms, an EMS squad arrives
on scene and uses an EKG machine
to record the electrical activity of
the patient’s heart.
The EKG machine may be used
in the ambulance or wherever
the patient is located (such as
the home, place of business or
shopping mall). The EKG readings
are then transmitted to the
emergency department, where
physicians determine if the patient
is having a heart attack.
If the patient is, indeed, having
a heart attack, then the squad
transports him or her to St. E’s,
which is a critical access hospital
capable of performing cardiac
catheterization and/or open heart
surgery. While the EMS squad is en
route, the staff assembles an expert
heart team that is ready and waiting
to provide appropriate care.
Speed is important because the
faster the problem is resolved, the
more heart muscle can be saved
and the better the outcome for
the patient.
6 Heart to Heart Fall/Winter 2014
Weight-loss advice
continued from page 5
• Enjoy fresh fruit as treats instead
of rich desserts like ice cream,
cake or pie.
• Talk with a supportive friend.
• Leave a few bites of food on your
plate after each meal to signify
your control over food rather than
its control over you.
• Take a relaxing bath or shower.
• Remove your plate as soon as
you finish eating.
• Start doing something that keeps
you from eating. Try activities like
exercising, gardening, cleaning
the house or painting.
• Toss out leftovers – unless there
is a good use for them in a future
meal.
• Read inspirational quotes that
help you resist eating.
• Relieve stress by listening to
music or a relaxation CD.
• Get outside and walk.
SHOPPING TIPS
SNACK TIPS
Snacking can actually help you lose
weight – as long as you choose
healthy low-fat, low-calorie snacks
that satisfy your hunger and keep
you from eating foods that are bad
for you. Try to:
• Stock up on healthy snacks
like fruit, low-fat yogurt, pretzel
sticks, carrot and celery sticks,
cucumber slices and broccoli
and cauliflower florets. If you feel
a need to dip raw veggies into
something, try hummus, nonfat
ranch dressing or yogurt-based
dressings.
• Do not bring unhealthy foods
into your home. No one in your
family needs unhealthy foods.
• Have healthy snacks readily
available. If you can easily reach
for a healthy snack, you’ll be less
likely to grab unhealthy ones like
chips or cookies. Try keeping
healthy choices in a special
section of your refrigerator
that’s easily accessible.
EMOTIONAL EATING TIPS
Some people rely on food as a
coping mechanism to deal with
boredom, stress or exhaustion.
If you rely on food to deal with
emotions, try these ideas.
• Read labels. Avoid processed
foods and foods containing
numerous added ingredients
like salt, sugars and fats.
• Choose fresh fruits and
vegetables.
• Avoid excess sodium by buying
low-salt canned goods.
• Shun fats by staying away from
food products containing butter,
oils, gravies or sauces.
• Steer clear of the “no-nos” like
the candy aisle, bakery counter
and ice cream freezer case.
• Limit sodium by purchasing foods
with less than 300 milligrams of
sodium per serving – unless your
doctor says you don’t have to
worry about sodium intake.
• Avoid foods with “bad fats” like
trans fat and saturated fat.
• Educate yourself and do not
believe that every food advertised
as “healthy” is really good for you.
For example, many low-fat foods
contain large amounts of sugar.
Watch for more tips in the next
Heart to Heart newsletter.
Go Nuts!
ENHANCE YOUR HEART HEALTH WITH NUTS
As autumn ushers in colorful
leaves and crisp air, squirrels begin
gathering nuts. Maybe we could
take a lesson from the squirrels.
After all, nuts pack a powerful
punch of omega-3 fatty acids,
which are good for your heart.
tablespoons of nut butter. Although
peanuts are actually a legume like
beans — they also appear to be
healthy for you.
Omega-3 fatty acids lower levels
of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterol, otherwise known as the
“bad” cholesterol that causes heart
disease. In addition to reducing
your risk of developing blood
clots (caused by cholesterol that
forms plaque), nuts are high in
fiber, vitamin E and protein. They
also contain plant sterols, which
lower cholesterol, and L-arginine, a
substance that appears to improve
the health of artery walls.
Nutty Granola
Nuts are relatively inexpensive and
easy to store. Consider packing
a handful of nuts in your family’s
lunches or taking them with you
on trips. Although nuts are healthy,
keep in mind that they are high in
fat and should be consumed
in moderation. Try using them
as a substitute for saturated fats.
For example, spread peanut or
almond butter on bread instead
of regular butter.
The American Heart Association
recommends eating four servings of
unsalted nuts a week. Select raw or
dry-roasted nuts rather than those
cooked in oil. A serving equates to
a small handful of whole nuts or 2
Try our nut-enriched granola
recipe below.
With the holidays approaching,
consider making heart-healthy
granola. When placed in pretty
containers tied with bows, it makes
nice gifts. And eaten in moderation,
this easy breakfast cereal or
anytime snack can be good for
you and your heart. Granola may
be stored in air-tight containers for
up to two months.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Total cooking and cooling time:
2 hours
Ingredients:
2/3 cup frozen unsweetened apple
juice concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if on a
sodium-reduced diet)
5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
(not quick-cook)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F after setting
racks in the top and bottom thirds
of the oven. Line two large baking
sheets with aluminum foil.
Mix apple juice concentrate,
oil and brown sugar in medium
saucepan and bring to a simmer
over medium-high heat, stirring
occasionally. Remove from heat;
stir in cinnamon and salt.
Toss oats, wheat germ, walnuts and
sunflower seeds with juice mixture
in a large bowl. Spread mixture
evenly on prepared baking sheets.
Bake 15 minutes, stirring once or
twice. Reverse sheets top to bottom
and back to front and continue
baking until lightly browned (about
15 minutes more) while stirring
occasionally.
Remove from oven and place
sheets on wire racks. Stir 1/2 cup
of the raisins into each sheet of
granola. Cool completely.
Yield: 9-1/2 cups
Nutrition per 1/2-cup serving:
262 calories, 11 grams fat,
0 mg cholesterol, 37 grams
carbohydrates, 7 grams protein,
5 grams fiber, 67 mg sodium,
229 mg potassium
1 cup toasted wheat germ
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup raisins
Heart to Heart Fall/Winter 2014 7
1044 Belmont Ave
PO Box 1790
Youngstown, Ohio 44501-1790
Boost your health IQ
by attending these
free sessions
STROKE SURVIVORS’
SUPPORT GROUP
HEART FAILURE
SUPPORT GROUP
SMOKING CESSATION
PROGRAMS
At monthly meetings for this group,
stroke survivors and their families
listen to educational speakers,
ask questions, socialize and share
feelings, issues and tips with one
another. Some members have only
recently experienced a stroke while
others may have suffered a stroke
(or multiple strokes) years ago.
This group offers patients and their
families an overview of heart failure
and what they can do to self-manage
this chronic illness. Meetings are held
at two locations:
By appointment. Please call
330-306-5010 between 8:30 a.m.
and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday
to schedule an evaluation at the
tobacco treatment center located
at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital
or St. Joseph Tod Avenue campus.
For more information, including
meeting dates, times and locations,
contact Mary Ann Cashier at
330-480-2876.
• St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital
3 to 4 p.m. on the first Wednesday
of each month. To register, call
330-480-3991.
• St. Joseph Warren Hospital
Times and dates vary. For more
information or to register, call
330-841-4327.