Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) is building on its reputation as a premier cardiac care hospital with the opening of an advanced inpatient heart failure unit. The Woody Stewart Heart Failure Treatment Unit was dedicated Sunday. It’s being touted as the only one of its kind in the region.
“More than five million people suffer from heart failure in the United States,” says Brenda Hott, MD, the medical director of Heart Failure at NGMC. “Given the increasing demand, it is critical that we are able to offer excellent treatment and education for patients. Now, through the generosity of the donors, we have a facility that matches our expertise.”
The Woody Stewart Heart Failure Treatment Unit features:
- 16 private rooms designed for patient and family comfort.
- Centrally located nursing station and integrated state-of-the-art cardiac monitoring systems.
- The Nathan-Schrage Teaching Center – a 1,600-square-foot facility for interactive cooking demonstrations and lessons on how to improve symptoms and quality of life. During a patient’s stay, they attend sessions such as Cardiac University and Heart Failure 101 courses. Caregivers are offered by-stander CPR classes
- Care overseen by two cardiologists – Dr. Brenda Hott and Dr. Merhdad Toosi – who are double-board certified in Cardiovascular Disease and Advanced Heart Failure.
- Daily interdisciplinary rounds by a heart failure disease manager (nurse practitioner), charge nurse, patient’s nurse, case manager, social worker, physical therapy, cardiology pharmacy and chaplain to ensure optimal care and give the patient, family and other caregivers the necessary tools to self-manage heart failure upon returning home.
The unit is named for the late W. Woodrow “Woody” Stewart who served as Chairman of The Medical Center Foundation from 1998-2012. More than 80 donors, who gave more than $1 million through the foundation attended Sunday’s dedication.
“We are honored and truly grateful to all of the donors for making The Woody Stewart Heart Failure Treatment Unit and The Nathan-Schrage Teaching Center come to life,” says Nancy Colston, president & chief development officer, The Medical Center Foundation. “Woody was a remarkable leader and would be so very proud to know that we continue to lead the way by setting the bar high and assuring the very best healthcare possible for the people of Northeast Georgia.”
NGMC has been rated Georgia’s #1 Heart Hospital 11 years in a row by CareChex.
To learn more about The Woody Stewart Heart Failure Treatment Unit and The Nathan-Schrage Teaching Center, visit www.nghs.com/heart-failure-services.
Featured photo: More than 80 donors attended the dedication on Sept. 25, 2016. Seated (l-r): Lorry Schrage, Muriel Nathan, Sherrie Schrage, Carol Burrell, President & CEO, Northeast Georgia Health System. Standing (l-r): Nancy Colston, President & CDO, The Medical Center Foundation; Jim Moore, Chairman, The Medical Center Foundation; Garrett Green, Todd Stewart, Lynda Stewart, Paige Green, Will Green, Dr. Brenda Hott, Medical Director, Heart Failure, NGMC; and Louis Smith, President, Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville.
