Page 12 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_April-2019

At the Hospitals
n Doctor Saves Man’s Life During
Pickup Hockey Game
Life often comes at you fast, but in the blink
of an eye it almost ended for one man who
went into sudden cardiac arrest in the middle
of a pickup hockey game. Thanks to the
quick thinking of a fellow hockey player and
emergency room doctor at Atrium Health, the
man is alive and eager to get back on the rink.
What started as a pickup game of ice hockey,
soon turned into a near-death experience
when longtime hockey player, Jib Street,
suddenly fell to the ground, unresponsive as
he went into sudden cardiac arrest on the rink
at Pineville Ice House in January.
Craig Bryant, MD, who happened to be
playing in the same pickup game, recognized
the seriousness of the situation and was able
to rush to Street’s side to help. As a physician
at Atrium Health Pineville’s emergency
department, Dr. Bryant understood he only
had a few minutes to react and try to save
Street’s life.
Within minutes, Bryant was able to attach
the electrodes from a nearby AED to Street’s
chest. The device detected a heart arrhythmia
and instructed him to administer a shock
current. “Time was very vital, but the stars
were aligned that day,” says Bryant.
After nearly six minutes without a pulse
and continued CPR, Street was able to regain
consciousness and slowly open his eyes.
“I’m just so grateful I was in Dr. Bryant’s
presence during all of this,” says Street.
“Mr. Street is very lucky in that he has 100
percent of his neurological function back,”
added Bryant. “One of the major organs
affected by cardiac arrest is the brain, but
today he’s as good as he was before he ever
went down.”
Street is feeling healthy with his new
defibrillator pacemaker that was surgically
implanted into his chest by the Sanger Heart
& Vascular team at Atrium Health Pineville to
help to control future abnormal heart rhythms.
“If there’s something I can bring back from
this experience, it’s don’t give up on a person
12 | April 2019 • Mecklenburg Medicine
going through cardiac arrest,” says Street,
who now advocates for the importance of
AED and CPR education.
n Levine Cancer Institute Earns
National Award for Treatment of
Pancreatic Cancer
Atrium Health’s Levine Cancer Institute’s
(LCI) multidisciplinary pancreatic cancer
program is designated as a
National Pancreas Foundation
(NPF) Center, one of 42
hospitals nationwide, and the
only adult hospital in Charlotte
to earn this distinction. LCI
David Iannitti,MD received this prestigious award
for its focus on implementing
a well-rounded treatment of
pancreatic cancer; treating
the “whole patient” with an
emphasis on the best possible
outcomes and an improved
JimmyHwang,MD,FACP quality of life.
An approved NPF Center must meet
criteria that were developed by a task force
comprising experts and patient advocates.
Criteria include having the required expert
physician specialties, such as medical and
radiation oncologists, gastroenterologists,
pancreas surgeons, pathologists and
interventional radiologists, along with patient-
focused programs, such as a pain management
service, psychosocial support and more.
“Pancreatic cancer cannot be beat with
one approach; we are attacking it on multiple
fronts, including surgery, chemotherapy,
radiation and clinical trials, and we are
starting to impact the outcomes of this
disease,” says David Iannitti, MD, chief of
HPB surgery at Levine Cancer Institute.
Levine Cancer Institute has a highly-
trained, experienced and focused team of
specialists focused on treating pancreatic
cancer, allowing patients and their families
to stay close to home while receiving
the most effective, comprehensive care
available. The team consistently develops
new treatments and treatment paradigms
to improve the care of, and outcomes in,
patients with pancreatic cancers.
“This kind of designation reflects a large
and dedicated group of professionals, who
work hard to improve the care of patients
with pancreatic cancer,“ says Jimmy Hwang,
MD, FACP, chief of GI medical oncology at
Levine Cancer Institute. “Ideally, we work
toward curing them, but in the instance
when a cure is not feasible, our goal is to
help improve the quality of their lives, as
well as helping them live longer.”
n Atrium Health Physician Elected
President of the SREI
Congratulations to Brad Hurst, MD,
director of assisted reproduction in the
department of obstetrics and gynecology
at Atrium Health, for being elected as
president of the Society for
Reproductive Endocrinology
and Infertility (SREI).
Membership in SREI shows
the highest level of training
and certification in the field,
Brad Hurst,MD as fewer than 1,000 providers
can claim membership in this elite society.
Membership requires subspecialty training
in reproductive endocrinology, successful
completion of a rigorous board certification
process and ongoing participation in life-
long learning.
Upcoming MCMS
Meetings & Events
APRIL
Special Events
n Tuesday,April 2
Women Physicians Section Meet and Greet
Mere’s Wine & Cheese Boutique
6-8 p.m.
n Tuesday,April 9
MedLink SeventhAnnual Community Forum
Project 658
11:30 a.m.
Upcoming Meetings
Meetings are at the MCMS office unless otherwise noted.
n Monday,April 15
MCMS Executive Committee meeting
5:45 p.m.
n Thursday,April 18
CAMGMA Meeting
Myers Park Baptist Church Cornwell Center
Noon
n Friday,April 19
Office closed for Good Friday.
n Monday,April 22
June magazine deadline.