World’s Largest Interactive Heart comes to Paris to educate children

Screen Shot 2013-05-20 at 1.19.35 PMTHE WORLD’S LARGEST INTERACTIVE HEART (AMERIHEART) COMES TO PARIS, TEXAS TO EDUCATE CHILDREN AT NORTH LAMAR SCHOOL ABOUT HEART CARE.

THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY:

 (PARIS CARDIOLOGY CENTER-KHALID SHAFIQ M.D.)

The public mind is educated quickly by events –slowly by arguments. 

Have you ever wondered what your heart looks like? How it works? What better way to understand how your heart works and how to increase heart health awareness than to actually walk through the body’s most important muscle?

BellinHeart, intoduced this idea for the first time in the form of Ameriheart, a 21×17 feet large walk through exhibit of human heart was presented on January 29th 2011 at the Lambeau Atrium at Green Bay in Wisconsin

The Ameriheart was rented as a trial to evaluate the community’s response to this innovative heart exhibit. RN staff gave tours and answered questions to over 700 children and adults. Tours included normal heart anatomy and visual examples of heart attack, bypass graft, endocarditis, septal wall defect, and mitral valve prolapse.

Since then, Ameriheart has travelled all over the United States educating several communities on heart health awareness. In April 2013, Ameriheart was presented to a community in Pennsylvania and made the headline news. On May 31st 2013, Paris Cardiology Center –Khalid Shafiq M.D. is sponsoring this event and bringing it to North Lamar School District in Paris Texas to create healthy heart awareness.

At the Ameriheart fair, Sayek Shafiq from North Lamar Frank Stone Middle School and Layla Shafiq from North Lamar Everett Elementary School in collaboration with staff from Paris Cardiology Center –Khalid Shafiq M.D. will be presenting posters on heart disease awareness as well.

Sayek Shafiq will be presenting a poster on “Stent, as one of the greatest inventions of 20th Century” and Layla Shafiq will be presenting a poster on “The talent of saving lives by saving hearts”.  While the Staff from Paris Cardiology Center will be presenting posters on subjects like “Healthy heart diet habits “ and “The Anatomy of the Heart”.

Dr. Shafiq’s team of nurses and staff along with nurses from Ameriheart will be presenting this exhibit to over 1200 students and teachers from Frank Stone Middle School and Everett Elementary School only. Children will be given an opportunity to ask questions on heart related issues and will be treated to over 1200 giveaways in the form of healthy heart pamphlets and heart souvenirs.

Dr. Khalid Shafiq, his family and his staff at Paris Cardiology Center believe that healthy heart habits should be introduced in children at an early age. A heart healthy balanced nutrition, followed by regular exercise, backed by a no smoking campaign and vigilance towards keeping cholesterol and blood pressure numbers in check are the crucial steps that need to be taken in preventing the onset of the most deadly disease in the United States as well as the world since early childhood.

Heart Disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States followed by Cancer and Stroke. It is about time children are educated to preempt this deadly disease from an early age.

On May 31st 2013, children will walk through the Ameriheart and learn about their heart’s chambers, valves, arteries’ and veins. They will learn about a medical condition described as “a hole in the heart”. They will learn what heart infection and heart disease can do. They will view mitral valve defect. They will see how blood circulates. They will see what happens during a heart attack. They will know the symptoms of a heart attack and when to call 911. They will learn about coronary artery bypass and see what a stent looks like. They will check out the ribcage and listen to the heartbeat-both normal and A-fib.

Ayesha Shafiq

Ayesha Shafiq

We are ready to make a difference in the lives of our children. The world’s largest interactive, anatomically correct inflatable heart exhibit will be open for tours from 9 AM to 3 PM for students at Frank Stone Middle School (Building B Gym). If your child goes to Frank Stone Middle School or to Everett Elementary School at North Lamar district, please talk to them about this event and encourage them to attend. They will enjoy, remember and benefit from this experience.

Ayesha ShafiqDirector of Paris Cardiology Center.  Wife of Khalid Shafiq M.D. and mother of their 2 children. Director of Paris Cardiology Center for 11 years.  Masters in International Relations.  Runs management with the help of 22 employees.

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PRMC Laboratory receives accreditation from College of American Pathologists

Paris Regional Medical Center Laboratory in Paris, Texas receives accreditation based on results of a recent on-site inspection as part of the CAP’s Accreditation Programs.

PRMCThe facility’s director, Stephen L. Walter, MD, was advised of this national recognition and congratulated for the excellence of the services being provided. Paris Regional Medical Center Laboratory is one of more than 7,000 CAP-accredited facilities worldwide.

The U.S. federal government recognizes the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program, begun in the early 1960s, as being equal-to or more-stringent-than the government’s own inspection program.

During the CAP accreditation process, designed to ensure the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine laboratory staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and record, and overall management.

About the College of American Pathologists

The College of American Pathologists (CAP), celebrating 50 years as the gold standard in laboratory accreditation, is a medical society that serves more than 18,000 physician members and the global laboratory community. It is the world’s largest association composed exclusively of board-certified pathologists and is the worldwide leader in laboratory quality assurance. The College advocates accountable, high-quality, and cost-effective patient care. More information about the CAP can be found at www.cap.org.

About Paris Regional Medical Center

Paris Regional Medical Center offers some of the most comprehensive health and wellness care in Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma. Its campuses offer general acute-care services including cardiovascular, women’s health, and rehabilitation, surgical, gero-psychiatric and pediatric services. For more information, go to www.parisregionalmedical.com. 

Understanding the differences between a Pacemaker and a Defibrillator

A Defibrillator is also known as Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator or (A.I.C.D)

by Ayesha Shafiq

The eye of the understanding is like the eye of the sense; for as you may see great objects through small crannies or holes, so you may see great axioms of nature through small and contemptible instances.

– Frances Bacon. 

Both a Pacemaker and a Defibrillator or (A.I.C.D.) are engineering marvels. These are miniature battery operated computers implanted in millions of patients across the world to regulate their heart rhythm and rate.

After a Pacemaker or a Defibrillator (A.I.C.D) is implanted in a patient’s heart, his/her life becomes better. A patient starts having more energy and is able to continue with his/her regular life style and is able to resume old activities that he/she may have given up due to poor heart condition.

photoSo what are the Differences between a Pacemaker and a Defibrillator (A.I.C.D)?

A Pacemaker is slightly different than a Defibrillator.

  • If a patient suffers from slow heart rate, which can lead to  heart failure, a Pacemaker is implanted. While fast, dangerous, irregular heartbeats which may lead to a heart attack, require a Defibrillator also called Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator or (A.I.C.D.).
  • Though both the Pacemaker and a Defibrillator are about the size of a pocket watch yet, a Pacemaker is slightly smaller in size than a Defibrillator.
  • A Pacemaker only controls the heart rate and rhythm while a Defibrillator controls the heart rate, rhythm and can help with the pumping ability of the heart.
  • A Pacemaker remains activated all the time once implanted. While a Defibrillator only gets activated when a patient is having a life threatening arrhythmia. The Defibrillator works by emitting electronic pulses much like an external Defibrillator would shock the heart into beating again at the correct rate when an abnormal cardiac arrhythmia is detected.

Types of a Pacemaker and a Defibrillator (A.I.C.D.)

A Pacemaker comes in the following types:

  1. Single lead Pacemaker: (1 lead) It only controls the rate and rhythm in the top or bottom part of the heart.
  2. Dual Lead Pacemaker : (2 leads) It controls the rate and rhythm in the top and bottom part of the heart.
  3. Bi- Ventricular Pacemaker: (3 leads) It controls the rate and rhythm in the top and bottom part of the heart and also helps in the pumping ability of the heart by resynchronizing the bottom right and the bottom left chambers of the heart.

A Defibrillator or Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (A.I.C.D.) comes in the following types:

  1. 1.    Single Lead Defibrillator:  (1 lead) It controls the heart rate and rhythm in the bottom part of the heart and also shocks the heart in case the bottom part of the heart develops a life threatening rhythm such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. 
  2. 2.    Dual Lead Defibrillator: (2 leads) It controls the rate and rhythm in the top and bottom part of the heart and also shocks the heart in case the bottom part of the heart develops a life threatening rhythm such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. 
  3. 3.    Bi-Ventricular Defibrillator: (3 leads) It controls the rate and rhythm in the top and bottom part of the heart and also helps in the pumping ability of the heart by resynchronizing the bottom right and the bottom left chambers of the heart. It also shocks the heart in case the bottom part of the heart develops a life threatening rhythm such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.

How is a Pacemaker or a Defibrillator implanted?

Under conscious sedation, Dr. Khalid Shafiq an Interventional Cardiologist can implant a Pacemaker or a Defibrillator in a patient in the Cardiac Cath Lab at Paris Regional Medical Center.

A 4/5 cm incision is made either on the left/right side of the chest. Veins that run under the collarbone of the patient are used to access entry into the right side of the heart. The wires are placed in these veins called the subclavian veins. The wires are then attached to the generator and the wound is closed. The patient stays overnight at the hospital.

Follow up after a Pacemaker or a Defibrillator implant:

After Dr. Khalid Shafiq implants a Pacemaker or a Defibrillator in a patient, it requires regular follow up. No one can predict how long will a Pacemaker or Defibrillator last. In general you can predict your Pacemaker or Defibrillator to last several years. Pacemaker or Defibrillator batteries do not stop working suddenly. They give Dr. Shafiq several months warning that they are loosing power. Therefore regular Pacemaker or Defibrillator check ups become essential. Besides checking on the battery, these visits allow Dr. Shafiq to fine-tune your pacing prescriptions or to accommodate changes in your condition.

Dr. Shafiq communicates with your Pacemaker or Defibrillator by a device called the “Programmer”. Attached to the Programmer is a TV remote control size device called a “Wand”. Dr. Shafiq places the Wand on the implanted Pacemaker/ Defibrillator site on the patient’s chest. This procedure is not painful. In fact you will feel nothing as the Programmer and the Pacemaker/ Defibrillator emit signals to communicate.

Programming Pacemakers/Defibrillators can be done in an office visit in a few minutes while a Pacemaker or Defibrillator check-up can be performed remotely from a patient’s home over the Internet.

Life after a Pacemaker or a Defibrillator implant.

Contrary to common beliefs, patients with Pacemakers or Defibrillators can use household appliances, cell phones and microwave ovens. CT scans, ultrasounds and other medical imaging devices are still allowed. A Pacemaker or Defibrillator patient has to be careful only when getting in contact with large magnetic fields like in a setting of an MRI.

Ayesha Shafiq

Ayesha Shafiq

Ayesha ShafiqDirector of Paris Cardiology Center.  Wife of Khalid Shafiq M.D. and mother of their 2 children. Director of Paris Cardiology Center for 11 years.  Masters in International Relations.  Runs management with the help of 22 employees.

Do you have a GUT Feeling? Gastrointestinal Disorders Seminar

prmc logo60 to 70 million people are affected by all digestive diseases according to the National Department of Health.

Dinner and a health education seminar on gastrointestinal disorders (GI) will be hosted on Tuesday, April 9, 2013, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at PrimeTime, 2218 Clarksville Street, Paris, Texas 75460.

David Stewart, MD, gastroenterologist on the medical staff at Paris Regional Medical Center, will discuss the most common gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, signs, symptoms and treatment options.

Dinner is five dollars and will be served at 5:30 p.m., and the health seminar begins at 6 p.m.  Email reservations to Carolyn.Hicks@parisrmc.com or call 903-737-3394 and leave your name and telephone number for confirmation.  Seating is limited.  For groups of five or more, please pre-pay at PrimeTime Senior Center, 1128 Clarksville, Paris, Texas 75460.

Physicians Choice Dialysis: With construction complete in Paris, facility looks to open ‘in or around’ April

Weakness, fatigue, loss of memory, swelling in the legs and/or feet, nausea, does not sound like a great way to start a Monday.  These are all signs — among other potential health concerns — of renal failure.  This is a growing diagnosis throughout America, Texas and the Paris area.

These patients seek out treatment as often as daily, but at a minimum of three times a week.  Treatment involves going to a dialysis center to have the toxins — in which your kidneys would typically filter out — removed by an artificial process known as dialysis.  At the dialysis facility patients spend anywhere from three to five hours, three days a week to sustain their lives.

New Image

Physicians Choice Dialysis has completed construction of such a facility in Paris.  This dialysis facility has been designed with the patients comfort and quality of care in mind.

The facility, which will be opening in or around April 2013, will feature flat screen televisions, wifi connections, heated and massaging chairs, and state of the art dialysis equipment, all in a relaxing atmosphere.

From the developing stages, patient care and comfort, as well as the access to PCD’s award winning dialysis care, have been at the heart of this new facility serving the Paris area.

Physicians Choice Dialysis will also offer to the Paris area home therapies training.  This will allow patients to take control of their care.  Home therapies allow our patients to maintain their usual lifestyle with little to no modification.  Patients enjoy the flexibility of performing their dialysis treatments in the comfort of their own homes.  Frequently this allows the patient to return to work or any other usual daily activities with minimal interruption to their schedules.

PCD has partnered with local nephrologist to provide care in the Bristow area.  These nephrologists will come into the facility on a weekly basis to monitor the care of their patients, as well as provide consultations for patients in the area.  Their presence in the clinic will assure the patients receive the best in class service and care.

Currently patients in the Paris area — in order to receive care — must go to this life sustaining treatment late in the evenings, which puts a strain on many of the patients who may drive themselves, as well as patients who must utilize transportation assistance in order to get to their scheduled treatment time.  This presents a physical challenge to many patients.  Therefore, Physicians Choice Dialysis, based on the need in and around the Paris area, began developing and constructing the new state of the art facility in Paris.

Physicians Choice Dialysis of Paris has now completed construction.  However, prior to admitting most patients, the facility will need to be approved by a Medicare agency.  This approval may take anywhere from one month to six months depending on the patient need and agency availability.  The patient need is urgent.

If you are a dialysis patient in the Paris area and wish to reserve a chair in this new state of the art facility please contact us at 1-888-phychoice.

If you would like to set up a tour of the new state of the art facility please feel free to contact the local office at 903-783-3200 or stop in for a visit.

The clinic is conveniently located just across from the hospital at 860 NE Loop 286 in Paris.