Got Scrubs ~ Will Travel!

Click Image to Enlarge!

Something is New at Trident!

What could it be?

Find out in the April Issue of the Heartbeat.... CLICK HERE.

New Opportunities with Trident!

California Dreamin’

Staff Perfusionist – Southern California

Outstanding career opportunity for a Staff Perfusionist within a stable adult open heart program. This is an immediate opening for an experienced perfusionist who seeks a long-term and permanent position working with Trident Health Resources, Inc., a leader in perfusion contract services for 23 years. The SoCal living awaits you… Ranked one of the best places to live by Money Magazine! Applicants must be certified with experience. We offer excellent working conditions and an outstanding benefits package. Please send your resume, references, and letters of recommendation to employment@tridenthealth.com or fax to (727) 738-9436. Please reference "SoCal" in the subject of your email or fax.


Enjoy Working in Sunny SW Location –

TWO POSITIONS! First Assist & Anesthesia Techs

Not just a job! Live in a Southwest community of thriving business, where people want to raise a family, where the sun shines 320 days a year over a landscape of flora and fauna. First Assist is needed with open heart surgery experience. Also, Anesthesia Techs are needed with experience in open heart surgery preferred and completion of an anesthesia technician training program approved by the American Society of Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians (ASATT) or a high school diploma or equivalent and 2 years of work experience as an anesthesia technician with certification. These are full time positions. Trident seeks enthusiastic team players for a long term commitment. We offer excellent working conditions and an outstanding benefits package. Please send your resume, references, and letters of recommendation to employment@tridenthealth.com or fax to (727) 738-9436. Please reference "First Assist/SW or Anesthesia Tech/SW" in the subject of your email or fax.

March Edition THE HEARTBEAT...

With Trident's recent leadership announcements, see photos and more details at the online newsletter..... CLICK HERE

Pictured below: Ron Bailey, Trident's President & COO and Jeff Poland, Executive VP Clinical Operations

Take Me to Your Leader…

By Ralph E. Jordan, Founder & CEO
Trident Health Resources, Inc.

What makes a good company great?

For Trident Health Resources, Inc., the proof is in its people. My most important role as president and CEO has always been in growing and developing a strong team. One thing is certain, the journey was never made alone. And it is in the relationships with others that has led to Trident’s thrust forward over nearly quarter of a century, through changing economies, regulatory environments, and new technologies.

Trident’s corporate culture is grounded on patient-focused care and fosters a servant management premise: That is to say, a servant leader serves the people he/she leads and provides an outcome that employees are an end in themselves rather than a means to an organizational purpose or bottom line. As we grow, our need for additional clinical expertise and strategic business models has also expanded. It is with both gratitude and pride that Trident’s leadership has talented people overseeing key areas of the company to inspire new ideas and drive improvements.

I would like to introduce some of Trident’s key managers who have been recently promoted and appointed to positions of leadership. But before I do that, I mention that as Trident has grown over the years, some have asked me when I would finally step aside and let others run things. I may be “the old man”… I’m still on board (remaining as CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee), but it should be noted that it’s not just me… others have been running things here for a long time. We are a team. So that I can be freed to look at opportunities for Trident and focus a bit more in the marketing arena, it is with much confidence that I promote and appoint key personnel for greater responsibilities.

Ron Bailey, who has served as Trident’s Executive Vice President since 2000, has been promoted to President and COO.
Ron has experience as a hospital administrator and more than 25 years in operations and financial management. His areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare industry and leadership in strategic planning, P&L management, productivity & cost control programs, accounting systems development, and inventory control. On a personal note, Ron is an integral part of the soul of the company. He and I have worked in sync for many years.

Jeff Poland, BS has recently joined Trident as Executive Vice President of Clinical Operations.
He is responsible for corporate clinical operations and development. I’ve known Jeff professionally for many years. His 32 years industry experience as a perfusionist and reputation as a seasoned manager (most recently president of a well respected perfusion services company) makes him an obvious choice for this new position with Trident. Jeff adds to our team the clinical expertise and leadership we need as we grow.

Julie Small has been appointed as Trident’s Corporate Controller.
She will manage the everyday operations of the company and oversee daily administrative management at the home office headquarters in Dunedin, FL. Julie has worked with us for over a decade, formerly as a third party provider of human resources and accounting services. Trident’s relationship with Julie has been long-term and it is with utmost faith this expansion of her role will make us an even better and more efficient company.

Norman Worcester, CCP, the founder of Apex Perfusion, Inc., is welcomed as part of Trident’s family.
He will continue as Apex’s president and take on additional responsibility as Trident’s Vice President of Clinical Operations. Worcester will lead the company’s expansion on the West Coast. Norm and I have been speaking about this merger for years and it is with great enthusiasm I announce this Association of Excellence.

When I reflect upon Trident’s past and where we are today, I pause with much humble appreciation. We entered the locums side of perfusion staffing and became the preferred choice for over 200 hospitals which sought vacation relief and emergency placement of perfusionists. Over the years, our business has grown into long-term accounts and we still continue to have a presence on the locums side. Our volume and growth grew organically and consistently as we built our company’s reputation. But this was not achieved single-handedly. It is the relationships built with others and the consistency of quality service that has permeated our culture, making all the difference.

What makes a good company great?

For Trident, it is its relationship with our people… Success lies in the great leadership and talents of many.

Please join me in welcoming Trident’s team in their new roles.

Ralph

Ralph E. Jordan, Founder & CEO
Trident Health Resources, Inc.

An Excerpt from the HEARTBEAT Newsletter on Reputation

You take every measure to ensure nothing hits....

But You're Only As Good
as Your Last Pump Case...
& Other Anecdotes about Reputation
By Ralph E. Jordan, CEO & President
Trident Health Resources, Inc.

A few weeks ago, an article in the Houston Business Journal ran about the favorable medical reputation of Houston. This is attributed to the trailblazing research and inventions pioneered by Dr. Michael DeBakey, who among many his achievements devised a roller pump that years later became an essential component of the heart-lung machine DeBakey helped secure Houston's medical reputation and is remembered as one of the 20th century's great pioneers of cardiovascular surgery. He was the chancellor emeritus of Baylor College of Medicine in the hub of Texas, director of The Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, and senior attending surgeon of The Methodist Hospital, also in Houston.

What can we glean about reputation from DeBakey? First -- that it is far-reaching. It is far-reaching beyond one person's contributions and extends to entire programs, hospitals, and even cities. So precious is professional reputation is that, in the words of Benjamin Franklin, "It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it." Perhaps we all know of a person who was fallen from grace by a singular incident. So in knowing this, we recognize the daunting reality of the work performed by a perfusionist.

The pressure to perform with perfection lies within the nature of the perfusionist's work, monitoring the heart and lungs during surgery. Experience matters greatly - even more than clinical expertise and quality education. Repeating success gains reputation - doing what you do best over and over builds confidence and strength in performance

There is little room at the top for aspiring medical professionals who make errors. And yet, I think there must be a dosage of reality... that is, to be humble as a professional. For no matter how great the skills of a perfusionist, he or she truly is only as good as the last pump case. Someone once told me, the bigger the career climb, the harder the fall if one does fall. Mistakes do happen... does that mar a professional's reputation? What do you think?

Another anecdotal line is that "Perfection is the enemy of good." For perfectionists, the slightest err can be paralyzing. But it is important to recover quickly from errors, assume responsibility for the repair and keep going. I have found working with Trident's perfusionists that they are often hardest on themselves. In managing people and being alongside them in their long-term careers over the years, I have found that it is certainly possible to arise above mistakes and retain a favorable reputation.

As a company, Trident isn't perfect. We have been fortunate to have had very few issues in our history. Being forthright and attentive, we address problems immediately and completely. Our corporate culture is people-focused and real. We work with people and through them and, in contrast to what others may do, we do not subscribe to an unyielding top-down approach to management or patient care. We know that the heroes in perfusion have lived through difficult cases. Valuable lessons have been gained through trials and experience. Without myopic eyes but instead through a big picture lens, the leaders of this industry, no doubt, have their share of stories of difficult cases, mistakes they have overcome, and ways they were able to overcome.

The Trident blog welcomes comments and stories to highlight the topics of discussion. Feel free to post here (you may comment anonymously).

Click HERE for MORE articles and news from the February Issue of THE HEARTBEAT, a monthly newsletter by Trident Health Resources, Inc.

On Perfusion Leadership... An Excerpt

As we ease into the New Year, many of us ponder our current situation and establish resolutions to become better in our approach to living by way of our personal habits and professional goals. I thought I'd share a story that is rich with inspiration in the spirit of this New Year ahead...

Recently a colleague of mine told me about a cable TV show she'd seen (Discovery Channel?) that featured a perfusionist monitoring an ECMO. Over time, the patient's condition declined and it was baffling to all the doctors. The medical team was beginning to feel there was no hope. This patient was fairly young with a strong physique and something gnawed at the perfusionist such that he couldn't give up the faith that the patient could be saved.

READ MORE in the January 2011 Edition of The Heartbeat....

Merry Christmas! (Click Message to Enlarge)

Holiday Edition of the HEARTBEAT, Trident's E-Newsletter Now Available!

This month's HEARTBEAT features a summary of results from a national survey of perfusionists and hospital administrators on Locums Perfusionist Staffing.

It's the holidays and a hectic time when staff shortages occur due to vacations. Trident is here when you need emergent perfusion staffing! Call us today at (800) 888-8408.

And check out the latest news in the December Issue of the HEARTBEAT!

A Thanksgiving thought…

At Thanksgiving more than ever, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible. It is a pleasure and a real privilege to be associated with you. We deeply appreciate all of your efforts. And in this spirit we say, simply but sincerely

Thank you and Best Wishes For a Joy filled Thanksgiving

Once again, we encourage you to say a special blessing this Thanksgiving for those in need, for a safe return home for our brave men and women in uniform and for our beloved Country.


Sincerely,

Trident Health Resources, Inc.

Ralph E. Jordan
President/CEO

Ron Bailey
Executive Vice-President

November THE HEARTBEAT

See the latest Trident E-Newsletter with a feature PLANNING AHEAD FOR 2011. Link Here

I'm 63 and I'm Tired... An Opinion Piece by Robert A. Hall

I wanted to share with you an outstanding opinion piece by Robert A. Hall, freelance writer, about the political and social issues of which he’s most tired. This was written about two years ago and was corrected at his blog, http://tartanmarine.blogspot.com/2009/02/robert.html , whereby through all the email forwards, he was misidentified as the actor Robert Hall who plays on the TV show, CSI.

At Trident Health Resources, Inc. one thing that is core to our business philosophy is having a strong work ethic. Hall speaks eloquently to this value.

Hall definitely is a conservative and he tackles some controversial issues such as race, religion, world relations, economy, and the president. While some of you may not agree with all his opinions, what he does do well is show hope for an America based on its historical principals, ways he knew in his experience over the decades which sometimes seem lost in a new generation. There is merit in such experience and opinion…. And certainly some good material for discussion and debate.

I hope you enjoy this piece. It’s lengthy, but I found it quite compelling… a good read for all!

Ralph E. Jordan
President & CEO
Trident Health Resources, Inc.



I'm 63 and I'm Tired, by Robert A. Hall

I’ll be 63 soon. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce, and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I’ve worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven’t called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn’t inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there’s no retirement in sight, and I’m tired. Very tired.

I’m tired of being told that I have to “spread the wealth around” to people who don’t have my work ethic. I’m tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy or stupid to earn it.

I’m tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to “keep people in their homes.” Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I’m willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the leftwing Congresscritters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them—with their own money.

I’m tired of being told how bad America is by leftwing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the religious freedom and women’s rights of Saudi Arabia, the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Gay people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela. Won’t multiculturalism be beautiful?

I’m tired of being told that Islam is a “Religion of Peace,” when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family “honor;” of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren’t “believers;” of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for “adultery;” of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur’an and Shari’a law tells them to.

I believe “a man should be judged by the content of his character, not by the color of his skin.” I’m tired of being told that “race doesn’t matter” in the post-racial world of President Obama, when it’s all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of US Senators from Illinois. I think it’s very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the emancipation proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and less in an all-knowing government.

I’m tired of a news media that thinks Bush’s fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama’s, at triple the cost, were wonderful. That thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress, that picked over every line of Bush’s military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his, that slammed Palin with two years as governor for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever.

Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn’t vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.

I’m tired of being told that out of “tolerance for other cultures” we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America, while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.

I’m tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore’s, and if you’re greener than Gore, you’re green enough.

I’m tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don’t think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I’m tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana. Update: People have written to tell me I'd have more sympathy if this was close to me. It is exactly having seen the destruction of alcoholism and heroin addiction in my own family that makes me pretty intolerant of people who are willing to destroy the people around them to indulge themselves.

I’m tired of illegal aliens being called “undocumented workers,” especially the ones who aren’t working, but are living on welfare or crime. What’s next? Calling drug dealers, “Undocumented Pharmacists”? And, no, I’m not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic and it’s been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I’m willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person who can speak English, doesn’t have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military. Those are the citizens we need. Update: A few people have taken this to indicate some bias against Catholics, based on events 400 years ago. While I think they are either too touchy or fail to understand, I was only trying to say that I have zero problem with Catholics wanting to come to the US, but that I have great concerns about Muslims, as a good % of them do want to kill me, or force their religion and moral code on me.

I’m tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people then themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years—and still are? Not even close. So here’s the deal. I’ll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we’ll compare notes. British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear. UPDATE: It has rightly been pointed out to me, several times, that I should have included Canadian, Australian and New Zealand troops here. My apologies for slighting these gallant allies of freedom.

I’m tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers—bums are bi-partisan. And I’m tired of people telling me we need bi-partisanship. I live in Illinois, where the “Illinois Combine” of Democrats and Republicans has worked together harmoniously to loot the public for years. And I notice that the tax cheats in Obama’s cabinet are bi-partisan as well.

I’m tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I’m tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

Speaking of poor, I’m tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn’t have that in 1970, but we didn’t know we were “poor.” The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.

I’m real tired of people who don’t take responsibility for their lives and actions. I’m tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination, or big-whatever for their problems.

Yes, I’m damn tired. But I’m also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I’m not going to get to see the world these people are making. I’m just sorry for my granddaughter.

Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts state senate. He blogs at www.tartanmarine.blogspot.com Update: Someone attached a picture of Robert D. Hall, an actor, to some versions and forwarded it on, saying that I was on CSI. We are two different people, and I am not an actor--unless you count running for public office.

And to the folks who said I'm Old and should die and get out of the way, I have IPF, so will comply soon enough.

About Robert A. Hall

Robert A. Hall, MEd, CAE, has been an association executive since 1982. He was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate in 1972, defeating a Democrat incumbent by 9 votes out of 60,000. He was reelected 4 times by large margins, and was nominated by both parties in 1976, retiring undefeated 1982. Hall holds an AA from Mount Wachusett Community College, a BA in government from the U Mass and an MEd in history from Fitchburg State. He is a Marine Vietnam veteran, having served four years in the regulars and, while a senator, another six in the reserves, finishing with the rank of Staff Sergeant. A frequently-published freelance writer, Hall’s columns, articles, short stories and poetry have appeared in over 75 publications. His book of anecdotes about the Marines and politics, "The Good Bits," was published by www.authorhouse.com. His book on association management, "Chaos for Breakfast: Practical Help and Humor for the Non-profit Executive," is available at www.asaecenter.org. He married his first wife, Bonnie, in 1992. His granddaughter, Britnye, born in 2000, is the light of his life. His blog is at: http://tartanmarine.blogspot.com/2009/02/robert.html

Feature Article: Behind Closed Doors... When Hospitals Need to Ask Hard Questions

The October Issue of Trident's HEARTBEAT newsletter is now available online.

Excerpt...

Third quarter. Coffee and donuts... a hospital conference room with each seat taken...calendars and reports stacked neatly on a table. Behind closed doors, discussions about the biggest challenges for hospital administrators may certainly include topics such as regulatory compliance, internal efficiencies, patient care and clinical outcomes. But let's talk turkey... it's also about how to ....

Research Finds Heart Patients are Getting Wrong Procedure

In Print: Monday, September 13, 2010


Tens or even hundreds of thousands of Americans are having coronary artery angioplasty and stenting every year when they should be having bypass grafts, and the result is an extra 5,000 or more deaths annually, researchers said Sunday.

Patients and cardiologists frequently prefer angioplasty and the insertion of a stent to keep arteries open because it is quicker and easier, and patients go home sooner and return to work more quickly.

But new data from a major European-American study on more than 1,800 patients show that three years after the procedure, those who got stents were 28 percent more likely to suffer a major event, such as a heart attack or stroke, and 46 percent more likely to need a repeat procedure to reopen arteries. They were 22 percent more likely to die.

Coronary-artery bypass grafts, commonly called CABG (pronounced cabbage), were the first treatment for blocked arteries. In the procedure, a blood vessel removed from elsewhere in the body, most often the chest or the leg, is used to bypass the blocked area, providing a new channel for blood to flow to the heart.

Hospital stays generally last five or six days, and the patient can return to work after a few weeks.

In recent years, however, cardiologists have turned more and more to balloon angioplasty, in which a catheter is threaded through a blood vessel in the groin to reach the blockage and a balloon is inflated at the site to compress the plaque. Originally, that was all that was done. Then physicians began inserting bare-metal stents, spring-like devices that hold the artery open.

Hospital stays are typically overnight, and the patient can return to work after a couple of days.

More than 1.3 million Americans now undergo angioplasty every year, compared with 448,000 who undergo bypass, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

The new study, reported Sunday at a Geneva meeting of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, is the first large trial to compare stenting and CABG directly. Called SYNTAX (Synergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery), the trial enrolled 1,800 patients at 85 centers in Europe and the United States.


[Last modified: Sep 12, 2010 10:12 PM]

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/incoming/heart-bypass-surgery-underused-study-says/1121233

Pitfalls & Top Secrets Hospitals Should Know for Successful Perfusion Staffing Outsourcing.

Hospitals gain many benefits by outsourcing perfusion staffing and management services but it's important to know some common pitfalls before signing any contract. These days, the economic and health care regulatory environments present little room for costly mistakes. Knowing potential areas for risk may help hospitals find confidence in their decision to outsource.

Read the rest of this article in the NEW September HEARTBEAT Newsletter.

2010 Perfusionist Locum Tenens Staffing Survey

The 2010 Perfusionist Locum Tenens Staffing Trends Survey is a national U.S. survey of hospital managers and staff who are involved in the hiring of temporary perfusionists. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and is voluntary and anonymous. A report of the survey results is intended to describe the trends in staffing for temporary perfusionists in open heart programs. The report of the findings will be published and available upon completion of the survey with a target date at the end of the summer.

Link to Survey

Thank you for your participation. Your valuable feedback is important!

Sincerely,


Ralph E. Jordan
President & CEO
Trident Health Resources, Inc.

Perfusionists and the Spirit of Americanism and Freedom

Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. It’s another Trident locum tenens perfusionist flying across the country in an emergency plight to save a life…

The nature of Trident’s business––to respond immediately to a hospital’s call for a perfusionist in any given U.S. city at any hour of any day––is a challenge that’s sometimes daunting, but one we are very, very good at meeting. Our organization is rich with resources and adept at acting swiftly to fill staffing needs both on a locums basis and for permanent placement. In the case of emergency need, we, at times, have been frustrated by the constraints of the state licensing and credentialing processes which throw a cog in the wheels of progress due to bureaucracy… and this brings me to the theme of today’s blog entry… on the spirit of Americanism, fight for freedom, and the evolution towards a more united approach to serving the patient, first and above all.

I’ve written before about the need for unity across this fine country, specifically for the reciprocity of perfusionist licensing. Refer to my blog entry, A Question of Inclusion or Exclusion: State Licensing and the AmSect Government Relations Committee (GRC) Position which highlights these concerns. Seems we are no closer to amends with the situation as I’ve written about, way back in 2008. Now, nearly two years later, it is still a struggle. Take for example, there are immediate issues with the State of Pennsylvania which has issued a deadline for Pennsylvania Perfusionists to submit miscellaneous paperwork for new licensing rules, creating hardship for compliance. Simply put, there needs to be a better way.

America stands for “fight for freedom” and we are and always have been strong in our favor of things right and good. We celebrate Independence Day to mark, “The meaning of aligning and forming a federal union of independent states,” and this is at the heart of the national celebration. Likewise, our perfusionists need national uniformity and alliance––to be included across the country and able to serve when called. And this needs to be done without undue interference.

To use a metaphor, there’s an urban legend making its rounds on the email circuit. Grounded in truth, the story has been retold and embellished, nonetheless, its points are valid:

A commencement ceremony took place at a US academic institution (sometimes claimed to be the University of Maryland). Prayer at the university was prohibited by law. When the final student speaker took the microphone, all students in the audience suddenly sneezed. As legend goes, the student on stage simply looked at the audience and said, ‘God bless you, each and every one of you!’ And he walked off. The audience exploded into applause...”

This story resonates as one that represents the fight for freedoms. In the spirit of Independence Day, let us find creative, civil yet bold ways to fight for the right things so our perfusionists can do their jobs––the right stuff for the right reasons.

I welcome your thoughts as we revisit earlier discussions––the notion of working under a united front. The job of the perfusionist is so very important and the future still in its evolution. We all can be a force towards betterment.

Happy 4th of July! Your comments and emails are always welcomed.

Ralph E. Jordan
President & CEO
Trident Health Resources, Inc.

Heartfelt Perfusionist Story

Members of Chili Lounge (left to right) Stephen Dickie, perfusionist; vocalist Cindy Mamchur and Dr. Stephen Korkola, cardiac surgeon, rehearse for The Way to a Girl's Heart, a Prairie Cardiac Foundation event.
Photograph by: Roy Antal, Leader-Post, Leader-Post

ARTICLE REPRINTED.

And the beat goes on.
Bypass surgery, performed by Dr. Stephen Korkola in 2007, saved vocalist Cindy Mamchur's life. As the Regina woman grappled with post-operative pain and the fear of dying, her long-time love of music became her lifeline.

"After I had my heart surgery, the pain was quite incredible and my breathing wasn't as good -- I think that's partly because your sternum has been cracked," she says. "I had a problem staying hunched over because that was just the most comfortable position for me. But then you're putting pressure on your lungs so you feel like you can't breathe."

After she'd been home for a couple of weeks, Cindy went to her music room and started singing.
"I did that every day and my chest didn't hurt as much, so I picked up the guitar," she says. "The music helped with straightening up, with the breathing and with stress and the pain. When I sing, I don't think of anything else. Nothing. That was probably my best pain relief."

Singing also calmed her anxious mind.

"After I had my heart attack I was suffering huge anxiety attacks. I think it's because the heart is the centre of your being. It's what keeps you alive ... When you go to bed at night, you think, 'Am I going to wake up or am I going to have a massive heart attack in my sleep?' "

After Korkola performed the bypass surgery, Cindy no longer felt anxious.

"He's literally touched my heart," Cindy says of Korkola. "That blows me away ... He's seen what's going on there and he's fixed what he's had to fix. Not to say that I won't have to be done again in the future -- there's always that possibility."

After her post-surgical checkup with the cardiac surgeon, she didn't expect to see him again.
But music played a role in connecting the patient and physician and in making another heart connection -- this time with perfusionist Stephen Dickie -- a highly trained specialist who operates the heart-lung machine while a surgeon operates on the heart.

To keep her heart healthy, Cindy takes part in the cardiac rehabilitation and risk reduction services at the Dr. Paul Schwann Applied Health and Research Centre at the University of Regina. Her husband, Grant, is a perfusionist who regularly works with Korkola in the operating room.

The Paul Schwann centre was having a Christmas party and looking for someone to play some songs, Korkola recalls. "Grant knew that I was starting to play guitar and they've known (Dickie) for quite a while and knew he was playing guitar, so Cindy just said, 'Would anybody be interested in playing for the Christmas party?' "

The trio got together and practised a few songs for the party and the band Chili Lounge was launched. It was the first of several gigs the band has played.

"We aren't a band that travels around the country and are rock stars," Korkola says laughing. "We select things that we're going to do and then we practise for them."

The band's next performance will be at "The Way to a Girl's Heart" -- an educational event on heart health being hosted by the Prairie Cardiac Foundation on June 12.

"We're getting involved because we all have a connection to the heart," says Cindy. "This cause is very important to us. It's a lot of work, but it's work that we like. We're doing about 35 songs for this event."

Balancing a demanding career, a busy family life and practice sessions is tricky, Korkola says.
But, like Cindy, the heart surgeon finds that music is a stressbuster.

"It's totally different from my stressful job," Korkola says. "I look forward to doing it a lot. I played a little bit in high school, but then didn't do it for years and years and years. I just started up the last three or four years. It makes a huge difference in terms of being able to get through a difficult day. And my kids are interested in it, so it's something we can do as a family too."
Playing in a band also shows the public that health-care professionals have interests outside hospital walls.

"And it's fun!" Korkola says.

The group performs "pop lounge" music that covers a wide variety of artists -- from The Doors to Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, REM and Talking Heads.

"We pick recognizable songs and then we put our own twist on them," Cindy says.
She believes the key to the group's professional sound is hard work.

"Both of my guitarists are really talented," she says.

Finding time to practise together is hit and miss -- depending on call schedules, says Dickie.
"Sometimes it's very difficult and it requires the patience of your respective spouses," he says. "It is challenging, but you can do it if you really want to."

To prepare for playing at the Prairie Cardiac Foundation event, the trio tries to get together once or twice a week.

"Doing what we do, it's nice to give back to the community," Dickie says.

"And a lot of our patients benefit from this event and the awareness that goes with it. It's a likely fit for us."

Noting Cindy's difficulty in getting diagnosed, Korkola echoes the need to raise awareness about who can be affected by heart disease.

Heart disease kills more Canadian women than any other disease, but like most women, Cindy was unaware she was at risk because she didn't fit the profile of a "typical" heart patient.
Cindy was 43 when she suffered a heart attack in 2000. She had eaten healthy, exercised regularly, wasn't overweight and her family had no history of heart disease.

When she ran out of breath while hiking with her husband, they both attributed her breathlessness to smoking. But when her arm "felt funny" and she began getting jaw pain, she went to the emergency room at the hospital in St. John's, Nfld., where the couple lived at the time.

The ER staff didn't recognize the signs that Cindy was having a heart attack.
"It felt like I had really, really bad heartburn, but it was more than that -- something wasn't right," she recalls. "When I went to the ER, (the doctor) said, 'You have anxiety. I suggest you go home and have a drink.'

"The next day, I went back again. They listened to my chest and they said, 'Your chest sounds a little bit congested, it's probably asthma.' And they gave me an inhaler. The inhaler just made it worse because it raised my heart rate. I couldn't even lay down because it just felt like somebody was choking me."

In desperation, Cindy went back to the hospital for a third time.

"I said, 'Somebody has to help me. I feel like I have an elephant on my chest.' "

Shortly after an ECG was done, a cardiologist came to her bedside and asked, 'Why didn't you get here sooner? You've had a heart attack within the last three days.' And I said, 'I've been here every day for three days.' He didn't say a word."

Cindy says health-care professionals and the public must understand that heart failure is not just a man's disease.

Looking back at her lifestyle, she recognizes there were warning signs.

"Unfortunately, I was a smoker and I was also a Type A personality -- I think that was a deadly combination," she says. "Not only that, but both my parents smoked so I grew up in a house full of smokers. We were at that age when smoking was cool ... I quit the day I had my heart attack. My cardiologist said, 'You've had your last cigarette, haven't you?' And I said, 'I'll never smoke another day in my life.' And I never did."

After her heart attack, a stent was put in, but Cindy continued to have intermittent chest pain.
It wasn't until the couple moved to Regina and Cindy had an angiogram at the General Hospital that it was discovered she had a blockage behind her heart.

"At that time, the General Hospital had a 3-D imager and they picked it up with that," she says. "In Newfoundland, they didn't have that technology. I would say that technology saved my life."
Cindy's husband, Grant, is co-chairing the heart health gala with Regina cardiologist Dr. Andrea Lavoie.

"Historically, women's heart health has been poorly diagnosed," Grant says. "It is a disease that strikes at any age. It used to be thought of as a man's disease, but that's just not true. There have been many mistakes in emergencies over the years and we're trying to correct that."
The fledging foundation also aims to benefit the people of the province.

For example, Grant says the Paul Schwann centre sorely lacks equipment, trained personnel -- such as kinesiologists -- and needs more programs to rehabilitate cardiac patients.
"Even the blood pressure cuffs are ancient," Grant says.

Beginning at 7 p.m. on June 12 at Innovation Place, the gala evening will include entertainment by Chili Lounge and the Youth Ballet & Contemporary Dance of Saskatchewan, a silent and live auction and a fashion show. Tickets are $75 and available at the Rider Store at Mosaic Stadium and the Northgate Mall, Bach & Beyond at the Golden Mile Shopping Centre and Crocus & Ivy.
"A lot of local designers have contributed dresses and the Heart and Stroke Foundation from Toronto sent us a couple of dresses that will be displayed," Grant says.

A variety of "heartfelt" experiences will be auctioned off -- including a green-and-white package that's sure to be a crowd pleaser.

"You can bid on a package where you stand at centre field for "O Canada" for one of the Rider games," Grant says. "You sit with Ken Miller's wife in the stands and then you get to go for dinner and wine tasting with them at Earl's."

Grant credits the community for its tremendous support of the event.

"It's going to be fantastic. We want to make it the go-to evening of the year. We're going to have a really good party."

© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post

Business Gatherings & Friends in Far Places .... and A Commentary on the Human Condition

The Memorial Weekend is upon us and I reflect upon the fact that traditional observance of Memorial Day has somehow been lessened over the years (parades, flag flying, honoring those fallen in service to our country). Perhaps it isn't the lessening but the fact that it is difficult or uncomfortable to remember those who gave their lives in order for us to remain a free nation. And yet, sometimes doing uncomfortable things for the right reasons is a part of the human condition. Sometimes it is difficult to understand that some aren't that aware of the precious freedoms we have because we take so much for granted in this great Country of ours.

Yet in many ways, the spirit of gallantry and goodness, heroism and valor is still alive and can be seen all around us. I wanted to share a story that speaks to the human condition and gives me the confidence that regardless of the times, there are many who are authentic to their core beliefs, which, in itself, bears witness to the goodness that is part of the fabric that makes us the good people that we are.

Last week several of our Trident team members met in Florida to attend the Mechanisms XXV conference which took place in Orlando. We used the opportunity to connect in camaraderie and business with colleagues and associates we’ve known for many years. Trident hosted a dinner and one particular perfusionist guest was a name known to me, but a face I only saw for the first time.

It was some 10 years ago that we were working a locums account in North Dakota. One fateful day while on the pump, our Trident perfusionist felt chest pains. She continued her work, alerting the circulating nurse that it would be a good idea to contact the Home Office in order to find another perfusionist to quickly replace her so she could go to the E.R. and be checked. A call was made to the office and I was notified immediately..

A call was placed to one of our team members who was familiar with this account and also knew the name of a perfusionist in that particular town. I was provided the contact information of an immediate resource who was already credentialed and had previously worked at the hospital. I made the call and was able to reach him. He had just completed a case at another hospital where he worked. Without hesitation, without condition, without regard to the competitive nature of the current environment, he immediately asked how could he help. Could he come to the hospital and take over our ailing perfusionist’s pump? “Of course,” he replied and he arrived on the scene within five minutes of the call and took over the case so that the Trident perfusionist could get medical attention.

Not a beat was missed in all of this. O.R. staff already knew him, they historically worked well together, and the procedure went smoothly. It wasn’t until the case was over that the surgeon looked up to see that there had been a switch in staff. He hadn’t even noticed the switch because it was made in quiet sync with the procedure. .

The perfusionist who helped us was Mike Renfrow, CCP. Over the years I fondly remember the heroic quick actions that took place. Care and concern for the patient remained as the top priority. It didn’t matter that Mike worked for a competing hospital, what mattered was doing the right thing. A change in perfusion staff occurred in this case, but one thing didn’t change…. commitment to quality and compassionate care… because when it comes to taking care of patients, some things should never change.

This is a tribute to one special perfusionist who epitomizes the very best qualities of the human condition. Many were affected in a most positive way because Mike was there. He did not hesitate and he gave his all to help and without condition. He truly is one of our authentic heroes and we thank him and are grateful that he reacted like he did.

Mike's character and spirit is not exclusive to the part of the country that he works and lives. There are many "Mike's" around this great Country...in our proud profession...in every walk of life. They are there, all we have to do is look for them.

May your Memorial Day be reflective as you consider the honorable actions that take place within our present day human condition…. Just as we take a moment to remember our proud comrades in arms that gave their lives to protect our freedoms. Let us send a silent prayer for the safe return of those gallant men and women who currently are serving to protect our way of life and our freedom from tyranny and oppression.

Thank you Mike Renfrow...let us know how we can help.

Ralph E. Jordan
President & CEO
Trident Health Resources, Inc.

Happy Birthday Trident: 22 Years Old TODAY!

At a time when so many companies are merging and changing names, it is rare and special to be an organization that has remained steady under the same ownership all these years. Trident Health Resources, Inc. marks today as its 22nd year in business under the same ownership.

This is a happy occasion for us, but much more significant to the Trident team is the fact we continue to serve our many long-term hospital accounts. Our locum tenens accounts have been a consistent and vital part of our growth and many return year after year. We were founded in 1988 to provide hospitals with the most experienced certified perfusionists that are available.

Since its inception, one of the constants of Trident is that it has continuously evolved and grown under a patient-first philosophy. We continue to enter new market areas and push technical boundaries to produce better ways of perfusion management. Our culture has been one that has always been grounded in strength of relationship and trust. We have a commitment to quality and compassionate care, because when it comes to taking care of patients, some things should never change.

Happy Birthday to the Trident Family!

Ralph E. Jordan
President & CEO