In The News
1st in Oregon to earn Advanced Certification
“JOINT REPLACEMENT INSTITUTE OF OREGON” AT WILLAMETTE VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER AWARDED ADVANCED CERTIFICATION FOR TOTAL HIP & TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT
Hands-Only CPR
Hands-Only CPR Saves Lives By Zac Woodruff, RN BS A few weeks ago, I was watching a movie with my 8 year
Healthcare Education Scholarships are OPEN
Between 2004 and May 2017, the WVMC Volunteers have given $287,650 in awards to Yamhill County residents studying for a career in
Our Bloggers
Zac Woodruff, WVMC Voices
Kendra Lindell, Mommy & Me
Stephanie,
My Weight-Loss Surgery
Amazing Care Stories
52 Years of Service
We are so happy to see Lucille Kuhn back in the unit that she originally opened many
“You care about me?”
" You care about me?" It was chilly fall evening when a patient presented to the ER
Orbera and a Weight Loss Success Story
March 2017, Original Weight 239 LBS August 2017, Lost 40 LBS October
Calendar
We now have a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous every Sunday. This is an open meeting for all who are interested in recovery from alcoholism through the 12 Step program, including ambulatory patients and staff. For more information, call Robert (H) 503-835-1042 or (C) 971-259-9145.
Have you had Bariatric surgery and looking for a little support? Join our group lead by a Registered Dietitian, Lindsay Obermeyer. Our group meets weekly in the Willamette Valley Medical Center Classrooms on the first floor across from the cafeteria. We discuss everything from diet and recipe ideas, grocery shopping and eating out tips, to society pressures and internal struggles. It is a warm, inviting group that has one mission: to support one another through the good and the bad obstacles of weight loss surgery in order to succeed. We hope you will join us!
The breastfeeding support group is a place to receive advice, support and a place for new moms to gather. Sherry Green, RN has been a nurse for more than 15 years and will be able to answer your questions and help both you and your baby get better at breastfeeding.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Peg Miller as the first-ever recipient of the Yamhill CCO Children's Hero award. The award recognizes her commitment to preventing child abuse and improving the lives of children in our community. Peter Hofstetter, CEO said, "having Dr. Miller join our birthing center almost two years ago as our first Pediatric Hospitalist has brought new life to our organization. Her dedication to providing the best patient care to the most fragile population is remarkable. We are truly honored to have Peg in our hospital providing quality care to this amazing community."
Hey ladies, have you marked your calendars? Girls Night Out is almost here! Gather up all your girlfriends, moms, daughters, aunts, nieces, and anyone else who likes to party and come enjoy an awesome event with all your favorite vendors!
Thursday April 26th 5-8:30pm @
The McMinnville Community Center
600 NE Evans Street.
Admission is FREE!
This years event is sponsored by Willamette Valley Medical Center and supports the McMinnville Soroptimist.
Vendors include:
Radical Rubies, Real Deals on Home Decor-McMinnville, OR, Willamette Valley Cancer Foundation, Women's Health Care - Obstetrics and Gynecology, and so many more
Tell Me About Pacemakers
Zac Woodruff, RN BS
We do pacemakers all the time. It seems like every morning, somebody is heading off to the cath lab to get a pacemaker.
In fact, every year in the United States, between 200,000 and 300,000 people end up getting pacemakers.
Perhaps someone in your family has one? Or maybe even you do?
Most people have heard of pacemakers, but quite often I find myself explaining to patients and family members how they work, so I figured I would take a quick moment to give you a bit of education.
When your heart beats too slowly, you do not perfuse your brain, organs, and vital tissues with an adequate volume of oxygen rich blood. Sometimes your heart beats in an irregular rhythm and this also impacts your body’s supply of oxygen rich blood. Some of these situations can be managed with medications, but sometimes that's not enough.
You see, we have specialized cells in our heart, in an area called the sinoatrial (SA) node, that function to keep our hearts beating regularly and in rhythm. We all basically have our own pacemakers built into our hearts.
These cells only make up about 1% of our cardiomyocytes (cardiac muscle cells), but they are responsible for spontaneously initiating the electrical impulses that start each contraction of our heart. Now sometimes, these pacemaker cells stop working effectively. This can happen from age, heart attacks, infections, or any other number of reasons.
When your heart can't keep up with a normal pace (60-100 beats per minute in healthy adults), and medications aren't doing enough to make a drastic impact, you made need to have a pacemaker surgically implanted.
Pacemakers effectively function to provide a "back-up" rhythm when the SA node doesn't work properly or when impulses are blocked somewhere in the conduction system.
The typical pacemaker patient comes to us with their heart in a bradycardic state, that is, their heart is beating less than 60 beats per minute. Often times, they feel sluggish, have syncopal episodes, and just have an overall feeling of malaise. As soon as we implant a pacemaker and their hearts starts beating at 60 or 70 beats per minute, they are often amazed at how good they feel.
A pacemaker consists of a few wires, sensors, a computerized generator and a battery. The sensors detect the electrical activity of your heart and if that activity is abnormal, the pacemaker can send electrical signals to your heart and cause it to contract and stay in rhythm.
There a few type of pacemakers that include single chamber, dual chamber, and biventricular configurations, but they all essentially function to do the same thing; keep you heart beating in a steady, healthy rhythm.
New technologies allow many pacemakers to record all kinds of data about your heart and wirelessly upload and transmit data to your cardiologist. It’s like having the cardiologist right there with you at all times!!!
Here at WVMC, we specialize in pacemaker implantation and we are always here for you if you have any questions.
Cheers.
