Medical Center Primary Care Now Open, Accepting Patients

Commonwealth Health Corporation (CHC), parent company of The Medical Center, opened Medical Center Primary Care on September 1 to expand the availability of primary care physicians in Southcentral Kentucky. Medical Center Primary Care is located at 1901 Scottsville Road, across from Edmonton State Bank at light #5.

“An extreme shortage of physicians who specialize in internal medicine and family practice is affecting access to primary care services for patients in Southcentral Kentucky,” said Connie Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth Health Corporation. Recent studies indicate that Bowling Green and surrounding communities have a combined need for up to 30 additional primary care physicians. “Primary care physicians play a vital role in the healthcare delivery system. They provide continuing care throughout a patient’s adult life, including diagnosis and treatment of acute illness, management of chronic conditions, preventive care such as screenings and immunizations, and coordination of care with specialists.”

The first physician to join Medical Center Primary Care is Mabel Alvarez, M.D. Dr. Alvarez completed her medical degree from Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. She completed residency programs at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, Florida and Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. Most recently she was in private practice in New York, New York.

Rima Desai, M.D. will begin October 15. She earned her medical degree at Smt. N.H.L. Municipal Medical College in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. She completed post graduate training in Internal Medicine at The Brooklyn Hospital Center in Brooklyn, New York. She relocates to Bowling Green from Bellevue, Kentucky where she practiced at Healthpoint Family Care.

A third physician, Maya Khoukaz, M.D., will join the practice in January 2016. Dr. Khoukaz earned her medical degree from American University of Beirut in Lebanon. She completed residency training at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri and Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. She presently works at Veterans Affairs in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Medical Center Primary Care sees adult patients. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 270-901-0629.

The Medical Center EMS Receives American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Recognition Award

The Medical Center EMS has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Silver Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience a STEMI, or ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction, a type of heart attack caused by a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by surgically opening the blocked vessel or by giving clot-busting medication.

Unfortunately, a significant number don't receive this prompt treatment. Mission: Lifeline seeks to save lives by closing the gaps that separate STEMI patients from timely access to appropriate treatments. Mission: Lifeline’s EMS recognition program recognizes emergency responders for their efforts in improving STEMI systems of care and improving the quality of life for these patients.

Emergency Medical Service providers are vital to the success of Mission: Lifeline. EMS agencies provide access to 12-lead ECG machines (devices that measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat and can help medical personnel determine if a heart attack has occurred), and follow protocols derived from American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines. The correct tools and training allow EMS providers to rapidly identify the STEMI, promptly notify The Medical Center, and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel.

Agencies that receive the Mission: Lifeline Silver award have demonstrated at least 75 percent compliance for each required achievement measure for the entire year, and treat at least eight STEMI patients for the year.

“EMTs and paramedics play a vital part in the system of care for those who have heart attacks,” said Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “Since they often are the first medical point of contact, they can shave precious minutes of life-saving treatment time by activating the emergency response system that alerts hospitals. We applaud The Medical Center EMS for achieving this award that shows it meets evidence-based guidelines in the treatment of people who have severe heart attacks.”

“Medical Center EMS is dedicated to making our unit among the best in the country,” said Randy Fathbruckner, Director Medical Center EMS. “The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program is helping us accomplish that by implementing processes for improving STEMI systems of care with the goal of improving the quality of care for all STEMI patients. We are pleased to be recognized for our staff’s dedication and achievements in emergency medical care for STEMI patients.”

The Medical Center EMS is also one of only two emergency services in Kentucky accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS). This means The Medical Center EMS meets a higher standard in the areas of training, safety and compliance requirements.

About Mission: Lifeline
The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for STEMI patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology clinical treatment guidelines. For more information, visit heart.org/missionlifeline and heart.org/quality.