Launching the Cardiac Campaign

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the country, causing one of every four deaths. The most common type of heart disease is Coronary Artery Disease, which is caused by the build-up of cholesterol and fatty deposits inside the arteries that can block, clog, or damage the arteries and limit or stop blood flow to the heart.

Each year, about 600,000 people in the United States undergo a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a procedure that opens blocked coronary arteries and restores blood flow to the heart without open-heart surgery. A PCI can be performed in an emergency, but also in an elective setting, as a preventive procedure in the case that your cardiologist suspects you have heart disease.

In February 2021, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill enabling the Department of Health to license community hospitals to provide full-service PCI. This long-awaited legislation has opened the door for Inspira Health to make elective PCI available to many who previously did not have access to this vital service in their own community. Now, Inspira can elevate its existing cardiac expertise and infrastructure to provide additional cardiac treatments for greater patient outcomes. The All Heart campaign is a network-wide effort to elevate Inspira’s cardiology services and provide a high-quality patient experience to all community members. With your philanthropic support, our team will be able to expand Inspira’s breadth of cardiac services across our system to ensure community members have access to life-enhancing – and often life-saving – care close to their homes.

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The Inspiring Story of Jeff & Valerie George

Three years ago, Valerie’s husband, Jeff, was simply not acting like himself. “Generally, he was awake by 5:00 a.m., working out early, running off to work by 7:00 a.m., and back home at about 8:00 p.m. – so I was concerned when he was sagging a bit, too tired to do activities he used to relish. I was certainly not used to seeing him lying on the couch in the afternoon. This was a man who was 44 years old and ran 100 miles a month.”

Valerie kept a close eye, and her instincts were on target. Valerie compelled Jeff to seek help and he did, ultimately undergoing a stress test that revealed a 99% blockage. Dr. Kurt W. Kaulback, Clinical Director of Cardiovascular Services for Inspira Health, performed an angioplasty and Jeff George was temporarily out of the woods. Jeff & Valerie George

“I was alerted the stent procedure was a temporary fix, and when symptoms began to resurface, I underwent triple bypass surgery and an intense cardiac rehab process,” said Jeff. “Frankly, I was incredibly fortunate. I underwent the angioplasty procedure at Cooper because I couldn’t at that time at Inspira – and if time was an issue, outcomes might have been different. So, when elective angioplasty delivered by skilled professionals in a stateof-the-art setting became an opportunity for Inspira Health, I jumped on board to help in any way I can. The preservation of life is a sobering, ambitious, and precious trust. It is wonderful to place it in the hands of the people at Inspira.”