Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, and now’s the time to improve your heart health to live a longer life.

One in every three female deaths in America is due to cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association.

Some attacks can be sudden.  Often people aren’t sure what’s wrong and therefore wait too long to get help.

Here are some of the warning signs of a heart attack:

• Chest discomfort: Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.   
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body: Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. 
• Shortness of breath: with or without chest discomfort.  
• Other signs: breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.    

Knowing the signs is important.  But even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, call 911 immediately.

Central Florida Regional Hospital is proud to have shorter ER weight times with a certified chest pain center and an award-winning Heart Institute with the most modern cardiac technology.   We offer the only full-service cardiac program in Seminole and West Volusia counties, including open heart surgery, catheterization, electrophysiology and cardiac rehabilitation. 

We’re planning several free Heart Month events in February including:

• Dinner With A Doctor: Wednesday, Feb. 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m.  Jorge O. Diaz, M.D., Electrophysiologist, will discuss treatment options for Atrial Fibrillation.  A healthy dinner will be served.  Call 1-800-445-3392 for reservations.
• Heart Healthy High Tea: Tuesday, Feb. 9, 3:30-4:30 p.m.  Jacob Agamasu, M.D., Cardiologist, will discuss the latest advances in heart treatment as well as how to keep your heart healthy.
• The Iron Heart Cooking Contest: Wednesday, Feb. 17, 6:30-8 p.m.  Watch our cardiologists create a meal with secret heart healthy ingredients and find out who is the better chef.  A heart healthy dinner will be served.
• Cardiac Screening: Saturday, Feb. 27, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, glucose and blood pressure.  Call 1-800-445-3392 for an appointment.

We’re less than three weeks away from Wear Red Day, the American Heart Association’s movement to raise awareness in the fight against heart disease.

On Friday, Feb. 5 we hope you’ll join the women— and men— who are wearing red to work in an effort to save lives.

And don’t stop with just what you wear.  If your workplace hasn’t planned an event, it’s not too late for you to start spreading the word.  You can log onto www.goredforwomen.org for a free, downloadable toolkit which includes a how-to guide, posters and more.

Plus, you’ll want to check out the official Go Red For Women Facebook fan page where more than 70,000 women are already talking about ways to fight this silent killer.

For more information about Central Florida Regional’s Heart Institute, log onto our website at www.centralfloridaregional.com.  And don’t forget to Go Red on Feb. 5.

Approximately 2.2 Americans suffer from Atrial Fibrillation or A-Fib.  The abnormal heart rhythm can lead to life-threatening complications in some patients, including heart attacks and strokes.

Long-term A-Fib causes the atria, the two upper chambers of the heart, to quiver rather than beat normally.  This quivering can cause the heart muscles to weaken, and over time it can result in heart failure. 

Because blood does not empty out of the heart chambers, clots can form.  If these blood clots break away and travel to the brain, a stroke can occur. 

Symptoms include:

• Irregular or rapid pulse or heart beat
• Racing feeling in the chest
• Palpitations, or a pounding feeling in the chest
• Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting
• Sweating
• Pain or pressure in the chest
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue or weakness
• Exercise intolerance

A-Fib patients are sometimes given blood-thinning medication to prevent complications, but with the newest technology that’s not the only option.

Central Florida Regional Hospital offers an effective treatment called a cardiac ablation, also known as radiofrequency ablation.  This nonsurgical procedure, which is performed in the hospital’s electrophysiology lab, regulates the heart rhythms by eliminating the tissue that causes the irregular heartbeats.

A 3D mapping system helps guide an electrode-tipped catheter to the abnormal tissue in the heart.  Then radiofrequency energy is sent through the catheter into the abnormal tissue to regulate the heart rhythm.

“The ideal candidates for this procedure are people with Atrial Fibrilation who have failed drug treatment and are significantly symptomatic from the arrhythmia,” Jorge O. Diaz, M.D. said.

Recovery times are minimal and patients generally go home within six to eight hours after the procedure.  Patients can return to normal activities the next day, and many patients no longer require medication.

“I was not able to complete a round of golf in the months prior to my ablation because I would get so fatigued.  Now I can play a full 18 and some days 36 holes without a problem,” patient Ed Crain said.

As part of Central Florida Regional Hospital’s heart month events, Dr. Diaz will discuss safe and simple options for the treatment of A-Fib during a Dinner with a Doctor lecture on Wednesday, February 3 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.  A healthy dinner will be served.

To make reservations for the free event, call 1-800-445-3392.

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.

Every year, many of us make New Year’s resolutions, but by as early as Valentine’s Day those lifestyle changes are long forgotten.  So if you want to succeed, you really need a plan. 

Central Florida Regional Hospital offers many programs to support you and your goals toward a healthier 2010. 

Diet:  Let’s face it diet is usually one of the most popular resolutions, yet the easiest to break.  The key is a healthy balance of grains, vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy, and protein and limiting foods and beverages high in added sugar or solid fat including cookies, cake, ice cream, potato chips, French fries, soda and specialty coffee drinks. 

Join us for the free Heart Smart Nutrition Class Wednesday, Jan. 6 from 3-4 p.m.  Call for more information: 407-321-4500, ext. 5780.  Another class is scheduled for Jan. 16.

Exercise:  It’s definitely harder to get back into shape after the holidays, but now is the time to get a regular exercise routine in place.  National health and exercise organizations recommend moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.  Doctors recommend you maintain a healthy weight with a body mass index below 25.

Exercise helps keep your body healthy and can also help ward off many diseases including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.

Get a physical:  Depending on your age or health conditions, you may need to consult with your physician before starting an exercise program.  And even if you’re feeling healthy, it’s important to get an annual physical exam to help ensure that you stay that way.

Our free Consult-A-Nurse service can help answer your questions or find you a doctor.  Call 1-800- 445-3392 for more information.

Relax and reduce stress:  After the holidays is the perfect time to relax and unwind.  Many of us often feel stressed, and that can contribute to many health conditions including coronary artery disease, stroke, immune disorders, diabetes, eating disorders and sleep disturbances.

The National Mental Health Association offers tips to reduce stress including being realistic, learning to say no, slowing down and meditating.  

Central Regional Florida Hospital offers a great option for meditation and relaxation.  We have yoga classes every Monday & Thursday 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the Lake Mary Senior Center, 911 Wallace Ct.  The class is open to all levels with focus on flexibility, strength and balance.   It’s free for H2U members and $6 for non-members. For more information, call 407-302-7385.

Spend time with friends:  The New Year is a good opportunity to make the effort to get out with your friends.  Being active and having the support of friendship can also improve your health.  Our H2U (Health, Happiness, You) program also offers social activities and travel including day trips, lunch outings, movies, theater, parties, member meetings, overnight travel, cruises and more. 

Join H2U for only $15 a year by clicking here.

Check your cholesterol:  If you haven’t had your cholesterol checked recently, there’s no time like the present.  Several factors increase your chance of having high cholesterol including age, family history, obesity, high-fat diet and a sedentary lifestyle.

Central Florida Regional Hospital will offer a free cholesterol screening on February 27 as part of our Heart Month Celebration.  Look for registration details later this month.

For more information about any of our programs, visit 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.

Life should be lived pain free so that every day can be enjoyed to the fullest. But for many Americans, back pain is a constant problem that prevents physical activities, reduces quality of life and can get progressively worse.

You should know that you have options. If you live with constant or recurring back pain, the specialists at the Spine Care Center at Central Florida Regional Hospital can meet with you for a one-on-one evaluation to discuss the nature of your pain, provide a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan to get you back to doing the things you love.

Back pain is caused by a number of factors: injuries, infections, and normal “wear and tear” from the aging process can cause discs to degenerate, sprains and fractures or limit your range of motion.

Our physicians, pain experts and rehabilitative therapists provide a comprehensive approach to back pain treatment and recovery. We treat both chronic and degenerative conditions that affect your spine and ability to be active.

Based on your diagnosis, our clinic can recommend a variety of treatments including:

• Injections
• Physiatry
• Physical therapy
• Radiology
• Referral to spine surgeons, if necessary

“If conservative methods such as medication, physical therapy or chiropractic care fail to relieve spinal pain, we offer advanced procedures to alleviate your discomfort.  With access to minimally invasive procedures, our patients experience shorter hospital stays and quicker recoveries,” said Dr. Rafael Allende, neurosurgeon at the Neurohealth Sciences Center at Central Florida Regional Hospital.

Let the experts at Central Florida Regional Hospital give you the care and education you need to get back to a pain-free life.

To make an appointment for a personal evaluation at Central Florida Regional Hospital’s Spine Care Center, call 1-800-445-3392.   Or for more information visit our website at www.CentralFloridaRegional.com.

At Central Florida Regional Hospital we are committed to providing you with the best healthcare available, while striving to make changes that will not only improve our hospital, but also our planet.  

Central Florida Regional Hospital’s Green Team has been recognized as a Green Business Member by the Greater Sanford Regional Chamber of Commerce.   We received the Emerald Level award from the Chamber’s Let’s Think Green Committee at the Chamber Luncheon on November 19.

Photo left to right:  John Eagen, Director of Supply Chain and Sustainability Coordinator, Russ Young, CFO and Green Team Chairman Christy Waldron, RN, Short Stay Surgery, accept the 2009 Green Business Member Emerald Award from Pam Czopp, Executive Director, and Charles Davis, Chairman, Greater Sanford Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Let’s Think Green Committee.

The Green Team’s first big project was the launch of single flow recycling.  With this system we are now able to recycle: 

• Newspaper
• Cardboard
• Sorted office paper
• Envelopes
• Shredded paper
• Phone books
• Magazines
• Aluminum
• Plastics
• Steel cans
• Glass Bottles
• Electronic Waste

The Green Team, led by Christy Waldron, RN, recently held “Green Week” to educate all hospital employees on the new recycling program.

Recycling is just one of the many ways we are reducing waste.  Employees are encouraged to use reusable products like bringing in their own coffee mug to reduce the use of disposables, to think before printing and unnecessarily using paper, and to turn off lights and equipment in areas which are not being used.

Central Florida Regional Hospital also uses energy efficient, recyclable florescent lighting, recycles batteries, electrical equipment and computers, and saves energy by keeping empty rooms at 78°.  

For more information about Central Florida Regional Hospital, call 1-800-445-3392 or visit our website at www.CentralFloridaRegional.com.

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Many patients who need knee replacement surgery tolerate the painful symptoms longer than necessary and consider the procedure a last resort.   They worry about pain, as well as the amount of time it will take to recover and return to their everyday activities.

At Central Florida Regional Hospital, Orthopedic Surgeon Stephen M. Reed, M.D. offers Unicompartmental knee replacement – a partial knee replacement– as an option instead of total knee replacement for younger, more active patients.

Dr. Reed has received extensive training to implant a device called the “Oxford Knee”, which closely replicates the movements of a natural knee joint.  As a result, Dr. Reed says many of his patients are very pleased with the outcome because they’re able to start walking again quickly, and even get back out on the golf course in no time.

Clinical studies show a 98 percent success rate with the “Oxford Knee” for 10 years.

Dr. Reed explained this technique to nearly 100 people who attended CFRH’s Dinner with a Doctor lecture on November 11, along with some of the other latest replacement options for knees and hips. 

Another one of those cutting-edge procedures is hip resurfacing.  Dr. Reed has received special training to perform the operation, which in many cases delays the need for total hip replacement and eliminating the constant pain that keeps patients up at night and affects their daily activities.

Dr. Reed also described the latest pain management techniques to help post surgical patients get up and moving sooner, resulting in better outcomes.

Central Florida Regional Hospital will host two Dinner with a Doctor lectures in January.

Know Your Numbers:   Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar

Presented by Vinay Srivastava, M.D., Internal Medicine

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

6:30 – 8:00 p.m. A healthy dinner will be served.

A discussion that will help you understand good and bad cholesterol, high blood pressure and if you are at risk for diabetes.  Dr. Srivastava will also discuss how you can improve your numbers and reduce your health risks.

Treating Parkinson’s Disease  

Presented by Raul A. Rodas, D.O., FACOS, Neurosurgeon

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

6:30 – 8:00 p.m.  A healthy dinner will be served.

A discussion on new trends in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease. 

Reservations are required.  Call 1-800-445-3392. 

For more information about Central Florida Regional Hospital, check out our website at www.centralfloridaregional.com.

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When you or a loved one is diagnosed with a tumor, the thought of extensive and painful surgery can be overwhelming and frightening.  Even after a surgical procedure, many cancer patients are left facing weeks of radiation, which can negatively impact their quality of life.

At Central Florida Regional Hospital, the CyberKnife Center offers advanced radiation therapy for treating cancer and other tumors anywhere in the body without surgery.  The procedure requires no anesthesia, no incisions and no recovery time.   

“CyberKnife radiotherapy can offer treatment to a patient whose tumor has failed conventional treatment with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy,” Maureen Holasek, M.D. said.  “Because of the ablative doses we can give in a short amount of time, this adds to the patient convenience.  There’s no surgery, no cutting, no invasive procedure whatsoever.  And it can all be done on an outpatient basis.”

Patients are treated in five or less outpatient visits, and for many that means not even having to miss a day of work.

Central Florida Regional Hospital offers the only program of its kind in Central Florida with technology that uses advanced robotics and computer guidance to deliver precise radiation beams to treat tumors, even those previously thought untreatable.

Some of the benefits of Stereotactic radiosurgery with the CyberKnife technology include:

• Painless
• No incisions
• Bloodless procedure
• Continual tumor tracking
• High doses in a short amount of time gives better cell kill effect
• Does not carry the risks and complications associated with conventional surgery
• FDA approved to treat tumors and lesions throughout the body
• No anesthesia
• No recovery time— performed as an outpatient procedure
• Immediate return to normal activity

For more information, you can speak with a CyberKnife Center staff member during office hours at

407-833-7510 or toll free at (888) 777-3181.

You can also find more CyberKnife resources at:

• CyberKnife Florida
• Cyberknife Support
• CyberKnife Society

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