Cardiac Care Has Been Available in Hollister for Many Years
Cardiac Care Has Been Available in Hollister for Many Years
Editor,
A recent article (“Hazel Hawkins Hospital Welcomes Cardiologist,” Feb. 28) gives readers the erroneous impression that the community has previously not been served by physicians with respect to cardiovascular disease treatment and education. This is not an accurate representation of the history of cardiovascular care in San Benito County.
In 1973, when I came to Hollister, the “coronary care unit” at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital was a two-bed room (now the nurses’ lounge) with an oscilloscope at the nurses’ station across the hall.
Realizing the inadequacy of these and other facilities at the hospital, I ran for public election for the San Benito Hospital Board of Directors and served for eight years. I and many others worked tirelessly to educate the community, and a bond issue was passed. Because of this, an eight-bed intensive care unit, which I helped design, was built, and it continues to serve our community well today.
As part of the development of our new Special Care Unit, I gave numerous lectures to the medical staff, nursing staff, and emergency medical technicians regarding arrhythmia detection and treatment.
I was the first physician in Hollister to implant temporary pacemakers at Hazel Hawkins Hospital, and, along with my surgical colleagues, have developed a program for permanent pacemaker implantation, which dates back to the 1970s. I continue to supervise the largest pacemaker clinic in San Benito County.
Regarding community education, numerous talks have been given by me and others to the Rotary Club, Exchange Club, SIRS, and several women’s groups. I have written articles for this newspaper and others. I have always been willing to take your reporters’ calls to help them understand new developments in cardiology and medicine.
Since 1985, I have been the medical director of the Hollister Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, which provides a three-month program of exercise training and risk factor modification for patients recovering from coronary artery bypass surgery, angioplasty or heart attack.
In addition to receiving referrals from local physicians, the center receives referrals from Salinas and San Jose cardiologists. Bypass surgery and angioplasty do not cure coronary artery disease but allow patients additional time to address risk factor modification and retard the progression of atherosclerosis, which is a systemic disease.
Because of my background and training, I am able to manage all risk factors, including diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and smoking cessation. I have been available to my colleagues for both in-patient and out-patient consultations throughout the years. Along with Dr. James Egan, I was able to bring nuclear cardiology imaging to Hollister over 10 years ago.
I welcome our new cardiology colleague. It is good for patients to have choices. It is important to understand history.
Martin M. Bress, M.D.
Hollister
