After living with an abnormally fast heart rate for more than 16 years, undergoing a battery of tests and 10 years of daily medication, Donna Hogan got a second chance at Central Florida Regional Hospital.

Hogan was first diagnosed with Ventricular tachycardia following a ski trip in the mountains of Albuquerque, New Mexico.  

“By the end of the day my heart was racing at the rate of 155 BPM.  Was this the result of excitement or altitude sickness?  Neither,” Hogan said.  “Although my physicians speculated I was born with this defect, that day my heart was jolted into super ventricular tachycardia.

Ventricular tachycardia originates in one of the two lower chambers of the heart, known as ventricles. It is diagnosed when there are three or more beats in succession originating from a ventricle, at a rate greater than 100 beats per minute but less than 200 beats per minute.

When this condition is sustained, the ventricles won’t be able to fill with enough blood for the heart to keep blood flowing properly through the body. This can result in lowered blood pressure, heart failure and death.

Hogan, 55, was wheeled into the electrophysiology lab at Central Florida Regional Hospital at 10 a.m. on June 10, 2009.

“The next thing I knew I was staring at the clock and it was 11:20 a.m.   I was all fixed!  Life is good,” she added.

Hogan is one of several very special patients who were willing to share their stories in our 2010 Second Chances calendar. 

“I am especially grateful to the physicians and staff of the electrophysiology lab at Central Florida Regional Hospital for their special skills in returning my heart to a normal rhythm.  Thanks to them I have been emancipated from my regimen of medications,” Hogan said.

Heart attack survivor John Miller is also featured in the calendar.

“I was travelling for work in Sanford when my heart attack hit. Thank goodness I was in the right place at the right time to be treated so quickly at Central Florida Regional Hospital,” he said.

The 52-year-old had a potentially deadly type of heart attack known as a STEMI (ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction).  During any heart attack, especially a STEMI, the sooner blood flow is reestablished to the heart, the less tissue damage and the better the outcome for the patient. 

A patient’s STEMI time is how long it takes from arrival in the ER to reestablish blood flow. 

Miller’s STEMI time was 61 minutes.  Central Florida Regional Hospital consistently beats the national STEMI time average of 90 minutes.

To order a free Second Chances calendar, call Consult-A-Nurse at 1-800-445-3392.  You can also read more of our patients’ survival stories on our website at www.centralfloridaregional.com.

After living with an abnormally fast heart rate for more than 16 years, undergoing a battery of tests and 10 years of daily medication, Donna Hogan got a second chance at Central Florida Regional Hospital.

Hogan was first diagnosed with Ventricular tachycardia following a ski trip in the mountains of Albuquerque, New Mexico.  

“By the end of the day my heart was racing at the rate of 155 BPM.  Was this the result of excitement or altitude sickness?  Neither,” Hogan said.  “Although my physicians speculated I was born with this defect, that day my heart was jolted into super ventricular tachycardia.

Ventricular tachycardia originates in one of the two lower chambers of the heart, known as ventricles. It is diagnosed when there are three or more beats in succession originating from a ventricle, at a rate greater than 100 beats per minute but less than 200 beats per minute.

When this condition is sustained, the ventricles won’t be able to fill with enough blood for the heart to keep blood flowing properly through the body. This can result in lowered blood pressure, heart failure and death.

Hogan, 55, was wheeled into the electrophysiology lab at Central Florida Regional Hospital at 10 a.m. on June 10, 2009.

“The next thing I knew I was staring at the clock and it was 11:20 a.m.   I was all fixed!  Life is good,” she added.

Hogan is one of several very special patients who were willing to share their stories in our 2010 Second Chances calendar. 

“I am especially grateful to the physicians and staff of the electrophysiology lab at Central Florida Regional Hospital for their special skills in returning my heart to a normal rhythm.  Thanks to them I have been emancipated from my regimen of medications,” Hogan said.

Heart attack survivor John Miller is also featured in the calendar.

“I was travelling for work in Sanford when my heart attack hit. Thank goodness I was in the right place at the right time to be treated so quickly at Central Florida Regional Hospital,” he said.

The 52-year-old had a potentially deadly type of heart attack known as a STEMI (ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction).  During any heart attack, especially a STEMI, the sooner blood flow is reestablished to the heart, the less tissue damage and the better the outcome for the patient.

A patient’s STEMI time is how long it takes from arrival in the ER to reestablish blood flow. 

Miller’s STEMI time was 61 minutes.  Central Florida Regional Hospital consistently beats the national STEMI time average of 90 minutes.

To order a free Second Chances calendar, call Consult-A-Nurse at 1-800-445-3392.  You can also read more of our patients’ survival stories on our website at www.centralfloridaregional.com.

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States.  Time is critical for a heart attack patient, and the highest quality care can increase the chance of survival with fewer complications.

A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart muscle is interrupted. This deprives the heart muscle of oxygen, causing tissue damage or tissue death.

Central Florida Regional Hospital is the only hospital in Seminole and West Volusia Counties that offers award-winning complete cardiovascular services— from diagnostic testing to open-heart surgery to rehabilitation.

The Heart Institute has a dedicated staff, including cardiovascular surgeons who have performed more open-heart procedures than any group in Central Florida, along with the most modern cardiac technology. 

On November 16, Central Florida Regional Hospital was recognized for its success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients when we received the American College of Cardiology Foundation’s NCDR ACTION Registry-GTWG Gold Performance Achievement Award for 2009.

Connie Shaw, RN, Director of The Heart Institute, and Jean Opsut, RN, Quality Management Director, at Central Florida Regional Hospital accept the Action Registry – GWTG Gold Performance Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association.

Central Florida Regional Hospital is one of only 121 hospitals nationwide to receive the award, having reached an aggressive goal of treating coronary artery disease patients with 85 percent compliance to core standard levels of care outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

The award recognizes Central Florida Regional consistently followed national treatment guidelines for 24 consecutive months, including the aggressive use of medications like cholesterol-lowering drugs, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, aspirin and anticoagulants in the hospital—all critical steps in saving the lives and improving outcomes of heart attack patients.

“We are very proud to receive this recognition for our cardiac program,” said Central Florida Regional Hospital CEO Wendy Brandon. “Our physicians and staff are continually focused on delivering the highest quality cardiovascular care to our patients.” 

For more information about Central Florida Regional Hospital’s Heart Institute, visit our website at www.CentralFloridaRegional.com or call (407) 302-7363.