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Nursing Team
| Nurse Practitioners | |
Jannie Pearson, CRNP We are very fortunate to have Jannie Pearson as our lead nurse practitioner dedicated to the Lehigh Valley Heart and Lung Surgeons. Jannie is one the most experienced nurse practitioners in medical practice. Simply put, we love Jannie! Patients love Jannie, too. She has endless energy, total dedication, and most of all, compassion. |
Renee Lehmann, CRNP Renee joined our team in 2010. She began as nurse in the Transitional Open Heart Unit with many years of experience taking care of post-operative open heart and lung patients. After becoming a nurse practitioner, she joined The Heart Care Group and specialized in taking care of patients after their cardiac catheterization. Renee will be our point person for all new in-hospital consults as well as managing our critical care Open Heart Unit patients. We're thrilled that Renee was able to join our team. |
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Heart Valve Center Nurse Coordinator
Cheryl Celia, RN, MSN, APRN Cheryl joined our team in 2009 and is serving as the Team Coordinator for our Center for Valve Disease Management. Our Valve Center consists of a collaborative team of cardiac surgeons and cardiologist who have a special interest in treating patients with heart valve problems. We excited to have Cheryl lead this new and important program. |
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Operating Room Nurses |
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Beth Frickmann, RN Beth is the Nursing Manager of the OR Heart Team. Beth has helped make our team the finest I have ever had the privilege of working with, anywhere, anytime! |
Beth Quigley, RN One of the most experienced and talented OR nurses I have ever met. Beth is highly respected by everyone who works with her. Any student nurse who wants to learn from the best, should spend time with Beth! |
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Lois is the scrub nurse who works with me the most. (The other nurses pay her extra to work with me everyday!) Actually, I enjoy working with every nurse on our OR heart team. Over the years, we all develop routines and gravitate toward certain clusters of teams. I'm certainly lucky to have Lois as the nurse who knows my routines (and my moods) the most! |
Lori Hoffman There are also so many people behind the scenes in the OR, like Lori Hoffman, one of our technical assistants in the operating room who is one of the many people that makes our team so successful! |
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Everyone plays an important role. These nurses have worked together for many years. Indeed, they are like family to each other. This photo was taken at a party at my home. The team has shared a lot of great times together. Simply put, they're the greatest! |
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The Open Heart Unit Team (OHU) |
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After you have open heart surgery, you'll spend the first night or two in the Open Heart Intensive Care Unit.
Cindy Meeker, RN (Center) Cindy is our new Nursing Director for the Open Heart Unit and Transitional Open Heart Unit. Cindy is the perfect Director, having spent her entire career as an Open Heart Unit nurse at Lehigh Valley Hospital. Everyone admires and respects Cindy. To Cindy's right is Nancy Buckner, RN and to her left is Patty Tachyapong, RN
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Margie Bennett, RN Tina Kerchner, RN
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Marge and Tina are two of the most experienced cardiac surgery nurses you'll find anywhere in the country. And, of course, two of the nicest! |
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The Tranitional Open Heart Unit (TOHU) |
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After one or two nights in the Open Heart Unit, you'll recover in the Transitional Open Heart Unit until you are ready to go home. Some of the finest and nicest nurses in the hospital work in the Transitional Open Heart Unit! |
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Congratulations to the OHU and TOHU team for winning the Friends of Nursing Award multiple times!
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Perfusionists and Anesthetists |
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Perfusionists run the heart/lung machine and circulatory support devices. Our phenomenal team of Nurse Anesthetists provide your anesthesia care under the supervision of the Cardiac Anesthesiologists. Some patients ask whether or not it is okay to have Nurse Anesthetists providing your anesthesia care while you are undergoing a heart operation. The answer is: Absolutely Yes! Our Nurse Anesthetists have superior training and experience. I not only trust them with my patients' lives, but when I needed surgery, I was glad they were taking care of me. |
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Lois Kleppinger, RN Lois scrubs with me almost every day. We make a great team. I don't know what I'd do without her! Ralph Montessano.CPT Ralph is our chief perfusionist and is one of the most experienced and well-known perfusion professionals in the country. |
Ken Clay, CRT Ken is one of our fine Respiratory Therapists. These hard-working professionals manage the ventilators in the intensive care units and provide respiratory care to all of the patients throughout the hospital. |
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Our Certified Perfusion Technologists (CPT) include: Ralph Montesano, Norman Manley, David Palanzo, Michael Quinn, Joseph Castagna, Robert Mimari, Robert Vinansky, and Shelly Broyan. |
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Mike Finney, CRNA is one of our fine nurse anesthetists. In addition to being a skilled anesthetist, Mike has the most positive attitude and terrific dedication. Simply a great guy. |
Jim Gates, CRT is another one of our dedicated Respiratory Therapists who primarily attends to our heart and lung patients. Recently, Jim won a Friends of Nursing Award for his excellent service. |
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(from left to right) Garrett Karns, CRNA Jim Moffat, CRNA Dan Wiel, MD Dan Ohl, CRNA |
Here's the team putting in a special catheter for a minimally invasive aortic valve surgery. Our anesthesia docs and nurse anesthetists are the best in the nation. Our outstanding outcomes are in large measure due to these extraordinary professionals. |
Heather Posavek, CRNA Heather is my buddy! Actually Heather is everybody's buddy! Not only is she brilliant and talented, she is funny, kind, and caring. And, she makes a mean eggplant parmesan! |
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As you can see, it really does take a large Team of many professionals to care for you and your family! I'm lucky to have the best Team! |
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Last Modified Saturday, March 06, 2010
