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Article Category: PeopleCare

Cancer Care Close to Home

NanCare

Published on August 13, 2020

Last updated 03:16 PM August 24, 2020

Nan in her office smiling with notebook

Nan Harman-Dempsey standing in front of a desk in her home office.

For years, Alpharetta attorney Nan Harman-Dempsey dealt with high-pressure situations in the courtroom. But after receiving the results from her biopsy, there was a new challenge on the docket: breast cancer.

Nan’s fiery personality wouldn’t let her back down from taking on this new opponent.

“I was never afraid even when I heard ‘cancer,’” Nan said of her diagnosis. “I’ve always been the type of person to look ahead and stay positive. With the Wellstar team behind me, I knew I was in good hands.”

For cancer patients like Nan, every minute counts. When Nan visited the Wellstar Specialty Teams and Treatment (STAT) Clinic, she started a treatment plan right away.

“We don’t want our patients or their families to be scared and waiting for answers,” added Dr. Laura Pearson, Wellstar breast surgeon. “That’s why we offer patients appointment times as soon as possible at the STAT Clinic.”

Even after treating thousands of patients with breast cancer, the Wellstar cancer team knows no person, situation or care plan is ever the same.

“Breast cancer treatment is very individualized,” explained Dr. Pearson. “Not one person gets the same treatment. Every patient in our cancer program has a care plan tailored to fit exactly what, where and how their cancer needs to be treated.”

This same principle would hold true for Nan, as she was selected to be the first Wellstar North Fulton Hospital patient to receive a new treatment called intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT).

I would have never imagined some of these advancements to be possible. But they’re here — and they’re at Wellstar.

- Nan Harman-Dempsey

Learn More about IORT

First in care

Because Nan’s breast cancer was caught in its early stage and hadn’t metastasized, the four experts at the STAT Clinic recommended IORT. In this innovative treatment, radiation is administered in a single dose at the time of the procedure.

Wellstar Radiation Oncologist Dr. Mark McLaughlin explained why IORT is so revolutionary for cancer patients.

“After surgery, breast cancer patients are often placed on a radiation regimen that lasts anywhere from four to six weeks. It’s a daily treatment at least five days a week that can be quite time-consuming,” Dr. McLaughlin said. “With IORT, we’re able to remove the tumor in its entirety and administer radiation just one time, in a single dose while the patient is under anesthesia in the operating room.”

Since the radiation from IORT is concentrated, it just focuses on the area affected by cancer and preserves healthy tissues. This procedure is particularly useful for cancers that may be difficult to remove during surgery or otherwise inoperable.

“Nan’s a busy lady. She had a lot of obligations and was also a full-time practicing attorney,” Dr. McLaughlin added. “It’s something she didn’t have to be encumbered by — she would finish her radiation the same day as her surgery before she even woke up from the anesthesia.”

“After we explained IORT, Nan was very enthusiastic and completely on board from the minute she heard about the new treatment,” Dr. Pearson said about Nan’s positive outlook on the surgery.

And, with Wellstar North Fulton Hospital close to home, Nan didn’t have to travel far for the most advanced healthcare.

“We’re living in such a great time for healthcare,” Nan raved about her experience at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital. “I would have never imagined some of these advancements to be possible. But they’re here — and they’re at Wellstar.”


High-tech healthcare

A little over a week after visiting the STAT Clinic, the day of Nan’s surgery arrived in record time.

“When I was going into surgery, the technology blew me away,” Nan said, recalling the high-tech machine used for IORT. “Everyone in the hospital was excited for me to be the first to receive IORT and what it meant for other patients in the future.”

“Wellstar North Fulton Hospital is the only facility in the area with IORT. In fact, Wellstar is the only health system that has a portable IORT unit,” Dr. Pearson said, noting how they have since transported the machine to Kennestone, Paulding and back for IORT procedures. “That means we can bring the treatment to where the patients most need it.”

Wellstar continually invests in new technology, treatments and therapies to advance the possibilities for patient care in metro Atlanta and beyond.

“At Wellstar, we’re always bringing in new technology like IORT, CyberKnife robotic surgery and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT),” Dr. McLaughlin said. “With these innovative technologies, we can give patients a wide variety of safe treatment options so they can receive the best care possible.”

Not just one physician can perform IORT on their own. It takes a dedicated care team made up of a breast surgeon and radiation oncologist to make the surgery a success. In Nan’s case, Dr. Pearson and Dr. McLaughlin went in together on the day of the surgery.

“We are literally side by side in the operating room, working together,” Dr. Pearson described her close collaboration with Dr. McLaughlin. “During the IORT procedure, I first operated on Nan to remove the tumor entirely. Then Dr. McLaughlin administered radiation from inside the breast tissue to ensure the cancer wouldn’t return.”

“After about two hours, Nan completed her surgery and treatment at the same time,” Dr. Pearson added with a smile.

But if not for the persistence of her primary care provider and the keen eyes of the mammogram technicians, Nan’s cancer might not have been caught so quickly.

That’s why Dr. Pearson urges all women to get screened for mammograms every year. “Because of the mammogram, we caught Nan’s breast cancer early—and the earlier we catch breast cancer, the better the outcome.”

Nan echoed Dr. Pearson’s sentiments on women’s health screenings. “Make the time to get a mammogram,” she said, urging women to get checked even if they have busy schedules.

“There’s nothing to fear about it. Getting that one little test saved my life.”

From the technicians to the physicians, the Wellstar care team was with Nan through it all. Now in remission, Nan was able to return to her law practice and get back to what she loves most: helping her friends and family in Alpharetta.

“Everyone at Wellstar is terrific,” Nan beamed. “They took care of me every step of the way. I can never thank them enough for everything they did for me.”

Tags

North Fulton Hospital Laura Rivers Pearson Mark Paul McLaughlin
Cancer Care NanCare PeopleCare
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In March of 2021, Ashley Martin suffered cardiac arrest, which kills about 90% of people when it happens outside of a hospital. Thankfully, she was already at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center receiving the compassionate care she’d been seeking to address a long list of symptoms.

Everything began at a hectic time in Ashley’s life. She was 30 and had just gotten engaged. Wedding planning had started with the help of her fiancé and their two young boys. The hope had been to have the wedding toward the end of 2021. But the unexpected happened.

“I was always healthy,” she said. “I grew up playing sports. I was a runner. I used to get headaches, but that was the extent of my medical history.”

Finding the right care when there is more than one symptom

Symptoms of what would ultimately be diagnosed as Guillain-Barré syndrome began in February of 2021. This rare neurological disorder causes the body’s immune system to attack the nerves. 

Ashley started experiencing tingling in the tips of her hands and feet, which moved up her legs and arms as days passed. When intermittent numbness became a symptom, Ashley went to a hospital near her Peachtree City home. A clean CT and MRI meant she went home with plans to see a rheumatologist.

As she waited for her first appointment, she started feeling numbness in her feet.

“At one point, I took a step down the stairs and went tumbling down to the concrete floor,” Ashley said. 

On another trip to the hospital near her home, Ashley was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, but treatment was unsuccessful. The numbness continued, spreading to her face. She began using a walker and, soon after, a wheelchair.

“The paralysis had moved to my abdomen,” Ashley said. “I went to sleep one night and woke up abruptly gasping for air.”

Compassionate medical care at a pivotal point

 Later that night, an ambulance brought Ashley to Wellstar Kennestone, where she would finally get the specialized neuro care she desperately needed. She was admitted to the Neurocritical Care unit, staffed by physicians, nurses and a medical team with specialized training in neurological conditions.

Upon arrival, she underwent respiratory failure due to paralysis spreading to her diaphragm. She was stabilized, but shortly after that, she experienced sudden cardiac arrest — the abrupt loss of heart function that stops blood flow to the body.

After a critical care nurse administered CPR, Ashley’s heart started beating again. Life support medications were given to keep her heart pumping.

“The neuro ICU nurses and doctors saved my life,” she said.

Later, her attending neurologist explained that the stress of her nervous system and immune system fighting, paired with respiratory failure, caused such high stress that she had a cardiac arrest.

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Exterior photo of Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center. Wellstar and Joint Commission logos.

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Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center Receives Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification

Wellstar Health System announced today that The Joint Commission recognized Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, the most demanding stroke certification recognizing hospitals that have specific abilities to receive and treat the most complex stroke cases. With two of the eight Comprehensive Stroke Centers in Georgia, Wellstar Health System now offers stroke patients greater access to the highest level of stroke and aneurysm care. Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center is also Joint Commission certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center.

“For years, we have provided world-class stroke care for each and every patient when they need it most. This designation represents how hard we have worked to provide the very best quality care for patients in North Fulton County and across Georgia. We’re proud that our work and subsequent positive patient outcomes are being recognized,” said Dr. Michael Mendoza, medical director of the Stroke Program at Wellstar North Fulton.

Wellstar North Fulton’s certification allows more Georgians to have access to the most advance diagnostics and treatments for cerebrovascular disease such as stroke. This is important because Georgia is located in the Stroke Belt, which is comprised of 11 states in the Southeast where the associated mortality rate for stroke patients is 10 percent above the national average.

At Wellstar North Fulton and Wellstar Kennestone, patients have access to advanced diagnostics and therapies to care for even the most complicated strokes faster and more effectively. These include:

  • Neuro Intensive Care Units –  A multidisciplinary team of physicians and nurses who specialize in neurocritical care.
  • Minimally-invasive treatment – Wellstar is one of only four programs in the state that offer neuroendovascular treatment, such as minimally-invasive clot retrieval, patients can be provided with a much less invasive treatment technique.
  • Cutting-edge imaging – Neurointerventional biplane imaging shows detailed, 3D views of blood vessels in the brain. This allows neurosurgeons to flip neuroendovascular cases to an open neurosurgical case when needed.
  • Pioneering technology – Wellstar North Fulton was among the first hospitals in the country to use the groundbreaking Artemis Neuro Evacuation device to treat brain bleeds, a condition that was nearly impossible to treat in the past.
  • Around-the-clock care – Artificial intelligence such as VizAi allows quicker identification of patients who are candidates for thrombectomy and organizes care in a connected system by quicker response to identify and provide care as quickly as possible.

“Our team of neurosurgeons, neurocritical care physicians, neuroradiologists, advanced practice practitioners and nurses work together to perform world-class thrombectomies, aneurysm treatments, carotid surgeries and cerebral bypass procedures so that patients can regain their best quality of life. Additionally, our dedicated hybrid neurovascular suite is equipped with innovative bi-plane technology. This allows neurosurgeons to view highly detailed images of brain vessels, so we as a team can customize treatments in real time,” said Dr. Arthur Grigorian, neurosurgeon, Wellstar North Fulton.

“When you have a stroke, every second counts. Getting fast, expert stroke care can mean the difference between life, death, or lasting brain damage. We are proud to receive this prestigious certification at Wellstar North Fulton, informing the surrounding community that they don’t have to go far to receive the best treatment possible. We will continue to work hard to provide an interdisciplinary, innovative, and compassionate approach to safe and quality comprehensive stroke care to all the communities we serve,” said Jon-Paul Croom, president, Wellstar North Fulton and senior vice president, Wellstar Health System.

Wellstar is a leading provider of stroke and aneurysm services in Georgia and performs one of the highest numbers of thrombectomy and aneurysm treatments in the country. The Joint Commission is a United States-based nonprofit organization that accredits more than 22,000 healthcare organizations and programs.

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Doing good CPR is critical to save someone from cardiac arrest.

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There aren’t many people out there who can say they survived cardiac arrest at 30. Kevin Miskewicz can.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 90% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die. Those who survive often have permanent neurological disabilities. But Kevin’s story has an incredibly fortunate ending, thanks to the highly coordinated work of his medical experts at Wellstar.

Recovering from cardiac arrest is something Kevin will never forget. It lives forever as a piece of his health history — one that includes a dedicated healthcare team — and his wife, who was the first to save his life.

There aren’t many people out there who can say they survived cardiac arrest at 30. Kevin can.

CPR to the rescue

Kevin woke up on Labor Day 2017 at 5:30 a.m. to take the dog out. Pausing to adjust the thermostat as he came in, he fell, knocking over a lamp.

He was in cardiac arrest.

With no symptoms and no known pre-existing condition, this was unexpected, but that didn’t stop his wife, Andrea, from jumping into action.

“If it weren’t for me knocking over a lamp when I passed out,” said Kevin, “she would have never woken up and saved my life.”

In addition to calling 911 and unlocking the door for the paramedics, Andrea performed CPR for 10 minutes.

“Kevin’s wife doing good CPR was critical,” said Dr. Arthur Reitman, the interventional cardiologist who was a vital part of Kevin’s treatment team at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center. “More than five minutes of poor blood flow to the brain can result in permanent irreparable injury from which a patient is unable to recover.”

Coordinating multidisciplinary care to save a life

When paramedics arrived at Kevin’s home, he had no pulse and was not breathing. As the paramedics performed their lifesaving work, he technically died two times.

The ambulance took him to Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, where he was initially assessed and treated by Dr. David Jacoboff. The interventional cardiologist implanted an intra-aortic balloon pump to stabilize him. Then, he transferred Kevin to Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center for highly specialized heart care.

When Kevin arrived at Kennestone by helicopter, his heart function wasn’t strong enough to support his body. Dr. Reitman and a team of doctors including a cardiologist, a pulmonologist and critical care doctors worked in tandem to put Kevin on an advanced life support system called veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Better known as VA-ECMO, it took the heart “offline” so it could heal. The technology removed unoxygenated blood from his body, oxygenated it and pumped it back in for the next three days.

“Very few places in the state — only four or five hospitals — have the technology and specialized training to put a patient on ECMO,” Dr. Reitman explained.

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