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Teamwork and Experience Lead the Way
For medical matters of the heart, Jersey Shore’s highly regarded line of specialized
cardiac services ranks among the best in the country. A team approach and decades
of experience make all the difference.
Married 42 years, Jackie and
Joe Gyimesi enjoy their trips
to the beach together. One sunny day
last June, they set off for Spring Lake,
with Jackie feeling totally fine. But once
at the beach, she grew hot and tired —
presumably vague symptoms…until
she passed out on the boardwalk and
had to be rushed to Jersey Shore
University Medical Center.
Immediate Action
Jackie remembers being greeted by
Laurel Goldstein, M.D., an emergency
medicine physician, who reassured
her that the crisis team would find out
what was wrong. "She spoke to me from
the heart, and I could see in her eyes
that she meant it and was going to get
me the help I needed." Joe, too, was
impressed with the emergency response:
"I got to the hospital a few minutes
after the ambulance, and there was
already a whole group of people working on her. They were talking
to Jackie and helping me understand
what was happening."
It turns out that Jackie was in
congestive heart failure (CHF). At
this point, she was too sick for
a surgical intervention, and she was
put on a ventilator. Cardiac surgeon
Drew Greeley, M.D., provides further
details on her condition: "Jackie
had an extremely damaged heart;
she needed to be medically optimized
in treating her CHF. Dr. Steve Daniels
[Jersey Shore cardiologist] and the
pulmonary team really played the
key role in lowering her surgical risk
factors and making it possible for
a lifesaving surgical option, which
involved a quadruple bypass and
aortic valve replacement."
Dr. Greeley also provided the Gyimesi
family, including Jackie and Joe’s son
and daughter, with a lot of comfort
and support. As Joe tells it, "He sat us
all down, and he spent over
an hour asking us questions
and explaining things. He
had a plan, but he included
us every step of the way.
We know how busy he is,
but he would never let you
see that. My daughter and
I were there 24 hours a day
and saw his team in action.
Everything was coordinated."
World-Class Care
Jersey Shore University
Medical Center houses
the most active Cardiac
Catheterization Lab in New Jersey, and the number of cases
and successful surgical outcomes are
among the highest in the entire New
York metropolitan area. Jackie’s case
would prove to be one of them, with
her surgery an unqualified success.
"Dr. Greeley got my heart singing
again," she claims. "I’m here because
of him and the team at Jersey Shore.
In the hospital sometimes, when they
thought I was sleeping, I was watching
them. They were always working
together. I mean it when I say they
really showed heart and put me at
ease. I knew I was in the right place
and have known many people who
have been to Jersey Shore for heart
care and other medical conditions."
Dr. Greeley is equally pleased
with his patient’s progress. "Jackie
is doing very well and has a truly
excellent cardiologist in Dr. Daniels
to manage her treatment. The cardiac
rehab team will also continue to
help rebuild her strength."
Heroes in the Midst
With her rehab now under way, Jackie
continues to visit Jersey Shore for her
sessions — walking and driving herself
the whole way. Looking back to when
she was hospitalized, she fondly recalls
her family whispering, "Here comes
Superman!" whenever Dr. Greeley
would approach her room.
"He had our full confidence. When
I was leaving the hospital, he told
me I could resume my life. I’m very
determined to get better, and I’m going
to do exactly what they tell me to do
to get there. They are experts, but you
can also tell how much they love
working there."
 – Ryan Younger
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