What Our Patients Say
So often our patients tell us that they are pleased with our excellent services through letters and stories. We would like to share some of those letters and stories with you.
The following are letters from real patients celebrating the excellent care they received at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. Letters span the years between 2000 and the present. All patient names and dates have been removed to protect patient confidentiality, unless authorization was given by the individual.
Kudos to Our Cath Lab
This letter of appreciation was sent by a satisfied family member, whose loved one was admitted to the Cardiac Cath Lab.
"It is impossible to express our deep appreciation for the care we received from Neese, R.N. [pre- and post-surgery] in the Cardiac Cath Lab. Her concern and compassion were genuine and heartfelt. We knew we were in very capable hands. While this could have been a trying experience, Neese made sure the entire family was comfortable and well-cared for. We would like to thank her for her kindness."
Another grateful patient Grace, a 57-year old Piedmont resident, wrote a letter of thanks for her cardiac care, which required implanting a cardiac resynchronization therapy device (CRT). We implant a lot of CRT devices resulting in many success stories like Grace's.
At age 53, she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF) along with several other severe heart conditions. When we prescribed a regimen of medication and implanted a CRT, Grace was able to maintain a much better quality of life than before treatment. Her damaged heart, however, precluded her from undergoing badly needed coronary artery bypass surgery.
Two years later, tests showed that the CRT had, in essence, "exercised" her heart, reducing its size and strengthening the remaining muscle so that she was able to have a successful six-way bypass.
"I doubt that without the treatment I received--especially the CRT--I would have lived and certainly would not have the quality of life I now enjoy. Within the last year I attended the weddings of both my children and look forward to the birth of my first grandchild in November. I could have missed so much," said Grace.
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Kudos to Our Cardiac Surgery Services
The following letter was sent by one of our grateful cardiovascular patients.
"One of the items on my to-do list has been to write a letter to express my thanks for the care I was given during my surgery and post-surgery. My doctor did a great job. He treated me very well and gave me the confidence that he would be successful.
"While I was pleased with all of the staff that gave me care during my three days in the hospital, I would like to single out Rebecca, R.N. She gave me excellent care and made me feel that she was paying attention to my needs.
"I definitely felt that she was managing my post-surgery recovery. I won't forget the sense I had that she was looking out for me from encouraging me to get out of bed and exercise to her attention to my pain medicine and getting me off of it. She is a gifted professional. I only regret that I took this long to express my gratitude."
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Kudos to Our Medical Center
This note was sent by a thankful family member whose mother had just had heart surgery. He pointed out that his nephew and his daughter-in-law are nurses in Chico and that their entire family has complimented the service his mother received. He said, "I don't know what you've done here, but the service is excellent and I wanted to pass that on."
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About the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence
At Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, our heart specialists deliver compassionate patient care using leading-edge procedures, to patients living throughout the San Francisco East Bay area. While our cardiac services are located in Berkeley and Oakland, patients come to our heart center from Hayward, Pleasanton, Lafayette, and other East Bay communities as well as from greater California and the United States to seek the best cardiac hospital care available. Our experienced team of top heart and cardiovascular specialists strive to work with each patient to identify the best treatment options for heart and vascular conditions. Whether you need a top heart surgeon (or specialist), a cardiac specialist, a vascular or thoracic surgeon, or one of our best-in-class cardiothoracic specialists - our doctors, nurses and technologists will work with you to strive for the best cardiovascular care for your unique needs. We strive to be the best cardiac hospital not just in the San Francisco East Bay but for every patient who enters our heart center, whether they come from Oakland, Berkeley, or beyond the Bay Area.
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