UMass Memorial Medical Group

This Heart Month, get to know more about Dr. Ellen Gallant, who specializes in Cardiovascular Disease at UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital. Q: What is your hobby and how did you get started? A: I spent 15 years of my life from 2002-2017 "obsessed" with climbing big mountains... not just any mountains, but Everest. All my climbing adventures had that ultimate goal somewhere in my mind, whether climbing in South America, western Europe, Antarctica, Alaska, or elsewhere in the Himalayas. It was always about training hard enough to be worthy of standing on the top of the world. In 2002, I read a book called "Into Thin Air" about the May 1996 Everest disaster in the early years of guided climbing where eight climbers died in a storm. Always having been adventurous, by 2002 I just wanted to see basecamp (17,500 feet) which is not a technical climb, just a vigorous hike at altitude. On the way down from basecamp, I met a group of American women trying to be the first all-female US team to summit; they were headed up to begin their ascent as I was heading back down valley to go home. After my return to the US, I flew to Seattle to climb Mt. Rainier, my first time on crampons and using an ice ax walking across crevasses; I was hooked! I spent the next 15 years training and climbing to make an attempt on Everest. Q: What has been your most memorable climbing experience so far? A: Summiting Everest on May 23, 2017 was one of the best moments in my life, particularly with the two prior seasons (2014 and 2015) where I was involved in disasters which shut down the climbing season each year. In 2015 I was at basecamp when the earthquake and avalanche hit; I actually thought I was going to die. The 2017 climbing season will remain one of my life's fondest memories, not so much because of the summit (though that was great), but because I was part of the rescue of an 18-year-old Sherpa guide named Sange who had been found near death on the mountain above Camp 4 at roughly 28,000 feet. Other than the Everest seasons, I loved climbing Denali in Alaska; I was part of an all-female rope team which is a very different experience from climbing with men. I remember our team was jumaring up a particularly steep section of the mountain; a group of men was heading down; I heard one of the men yell to his team "Hey, guys, it's all chicks!". Also, the midnight sun of an Alaskan summer, best appreciated at Camp 2 on Denali, is spectacularly beautiful! Q: How/why is climbing such a good outlet for you, especially as a doctor? A: The mental and physical commitment to climbing fits well with "doctorly" skills; climbing requires perfection. However, one big reason I love climbing is that it shuts off my brain. One has to completely concentrate on the moment at hand so you don't fall down a mountain. While this may seem stressful, it is actually a wonderful escape from all of the mental efforts and worries we as doctors have to face on a regular basis.

Dr.Shruti Hegde,MD.,FACC, cardiologist and Director of Nuclear and CT Imaging, has been accepted into the Future Leaders Program (FLP) with the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT). This highly competitive program selects only three candidates every two years across the U.S., making Dr. Hegde's acceptance a testament to her dedication to the field of cardiology. The SCCT Future Leaders Program is a three-year initiative designed to build a strong, diverse leadership pipeline within SCCT and the field of cardiovascular computed tomography. It provides an interactive, mentored learning experience that builds leadership skills and facilitates leadership opportunities.  Her participation will not only enhance her leadership skills but also contribute to the broader goals of SCCT in promoting excellence in cardiovascular imaging. Congratulations, Dr. Hegde.

Cynthia Barginere, RN, DNP, FACHE, joined UMass Memorial Health in the new role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the system last month. Having served in executive leadership roles for almost 25 years and at three academic medical centers/systems, Cynthia is well-prepared to guide UMass Memorial on our continued journey toward becoming a more integrated system of care. 

Please join us for this free webinar: Inclusive Healthcare: Caring for Vulnerable Populations. As we mark the 25th anniversary of the National Compassionate Caregivers of the Year® Award, we celebrate healthcare professionals whose deep commitment to compassionate care has transformed countless lives. This group of remarkable honorees works tirelessly with our most vulnerable populations, bringing dignity and healing to patients facing spinal cord injuries, substance abuse disorders, end-of-life care, and homelessness, among many other challenging scenarios. Don’t miss this panel discussion moderated by Schwartz Center Chief Executive Officer Michael Gustafson, MD, MBA, where our recipients will share their powerful stories of connection, care, and human resilience. The 2024 NCCY recipients are: Erik Garcia, MD, Physician, University of Massachusetts Medical Center Sylvia K. Parker, NP, Nurse Practitioner, Optum Dinh H. To, MSW, LSW, Worker’s Compensation Care Manager, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Register here: https://lnkd.in/dNz4u9zg

Congratulations to our Heart and Vascular Interventional Lab on their first tricuspid valve repair procedure. The TriClip transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system is the first-of-its-kind device to repair a leaky tricuspid valve (known as tricuspid regurgitation or TR). The Medical Center is the only hospital performing the repair in Central and Western Massachusetts. Structural heart coordinators Ashleigh Poptic, NP, and Nicole Majkut, PA, alongside Dr. VS Mahadevan, Chief, Division of Cardiology, and the Cath Lab team successfully completed the procedure, and the patient was discharged the following morning. TriClip offers a safe, minimally invasive treatment option for patients in need of valve repair but who are unable to withstand surgery. The device is delivered to the heart via a catheter inserted through the femoral vein in the leg and works by clipping together a portion of the leaflets of the tricuspid valve to reduce the backflow of blood caused by the leaky valve. This approach allows the heart to pump blood more efficiently and relieve symptoms of TR. More than 1.6 million people in the U.S. are affected by tricuspid regurgitation, which can severely impact quality of life. TR is a condition in which the valve between the two right heart chambers (right ventricle and right atrium) don’t close properly, allowing blood to flow back into the right atrium of the heart. The disease is often debilitating, causing symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue, and when left untreated, may progress into conditions such as atrial fibrillation, heart failure and, ultimately death. The TriClip device provides a much-needed treatment option for people suffering from this condition.

Our Electroencephalogram (EEG) Laboratory has been awarded accreditation by the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET). This makes us the only EEG lab in Massachusetts, outside of Greater Boston, that has earned this national distinction. https://lnkd.in/eA96za2q

The University Otolaryngology Department – also known as Ear, Nose and Throat or ENT – is thankful for its new, expanded clinic space that has enabled the team of outstanding caregivers to not only keep pace with growing demand for outpatient services, but also to expand offerings and enhance patient satisfaction. In late October, Daniel Kim, MD, Clinical Department Chair, Otolaryngology, was joined by UMass Memorial Medical Center President Justin Precourt, and ambulatory services caregivers for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the expanded space. From 2021 through 2025, ENT expects a 49% growth in visits. UMass Memorial has responded not only by adding space, but also by increasing the number of physicians and building an expanded advanced practice providers team.  At the same time, audiology partners have experienced increased demand. Otolaryngology, audiology and speech therapy work collaboratively to provide multidisciplinary care of patients from newborns to geriatrics. For example, ENT collaborates with oncology and speech therapy to provide speech therapy services for head and neck patients. Efficiency gains, expansion of clinic-based procedures, greater integrated care, and an enhanced patient experience are just some of the reasons the ENT team is thankful in 2024!