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Aug. 25 - Faced with an unexpected demand for services, the
Keystone Health Center recently hired another specialist who has
joined the non-profit health care network’s cardiology practice
– Franklin County Heart Center.
Dr. Arshad M. Safi, 38, becomes the fourth member of the
practice, which opened its doors in January at the Summit Health
Center in Chambersburg. He lives in the borough with his wife
and two-month-old daughter.
Safi, who came on board at the Heart Center on Aug. 1, said his
experience here has been “more than what I expected.” He said
one of the reasons he decided to come here from urban New York
is the desire to serve residents of a more rural community.
“Basically I was raised in a small town and realize the needs
small towns have,” he said. “And during my visits here I was
really impressed with the people I met, and the place.”
Safi comes to the Heart Center with impressive credentials. He
earned his medical degree from King Edward Medical College in
Lahore, Pakistan, and completed his residency in internal
medicine, fellowships in interventional cardiology and
cardiovascular disease and a research fellowship in cardiology
at the State University of New York Health Center in Brooklyn.
Before coming to Chambersburg, Safi served on the medical staff
of The Brooklyn Hospital Center, the University Hospital of
Brooklyn, and Saint Vincent’s Hospital Medical Center in New
York City. At the same time he served as director of the Cardiac
Catheterization Lab and Interventional Cardiology at The
Brooklyn Hospital Center.
Safi was also Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Medical
College of Cornell University in New York City, and Clinical
Assistant Professor of Medicine and Cardiovascular Lecturer at
the Brooklyn. He is board certified in Nuclear Cardiology,
Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease and Internal
Medicine and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology,
the American College of Chest Physicians, the American College
of Angiology and the American College of Physicians.
Simply put, Safi does everything from screening patients who are
at risk for cardiac disease to treating those who are having a
heart attack.
In his role as interventional cardiologist, Safi performs
catheterizations and stent placements – the former a diagnostic
procedure and the latter a form of treatment. Stents are small
devices placed in arteries to keep them open.
Safi and Dr. Aylmer Tang, another interventional cardiologist in
the Health Center practice, now provide a one-two punch for
patients who come to Chambersburg Hospital suffering from heart
problems – including heart attacks.
“Franklin County patients were routinely sent to Harrisburg or
Hershey (for catheterization and stent placement), forcing their
families to travel at least an hour to be with them, and
requiring long trips for follow-up visits,” said Joanne Cochran,
President and CEO of Keystone Health Center. “Dr. Safi is
joining Dr. Tang in performing procedures right here in
Chambersburg.”
Cochran said that in the first six months of this year, 308
cardiac catheterizations have been performed at Chambersburg
Hospital. Of those patients, 61 percent were found to have
coronary artery disease and required additional non-surgical
procedures such as stent insertion.
She said that 79 percent of the people who required those
additional procedures were treated in Chambersburg, rather than
being referred out of town. In some cases, the fact that
patients could be treated immediately at the local hospital has
saved lives.
Cochran said Keystone decided to hire another cardiologist after
the Heart Center became inundated with patients. “We were much,
much busier than expected,” she said. “We’ve had to perform
double the number of procedures expected and so we’re very
pleased to have Dr. Safi, an experienced cardiologist, become
the fourth doctor in our practice.”
Safi said that he realized how much his services were needed as
soon as he joined the Heart Center. Last weekend alone, when he
was on call at Chambersburg Hospital, he saw approximately 30
patients who came in with heart-related problems. “One came in
at 3 a.m. on Friday,” he said. “He was an 81-year-old man who
was having a heart attack. He’s doing fine now.”
Treatment of heart disease, including heart attacks, has
improved by leaps and bounds over time, according to Safi. “In
recent years the trends have changed remarkably, especially in
dealing with blockages,” he said. “Before, if someone had a
heart attack they were not allowed out of bed for three to four
weeks. Now with our training and technology we can have an
artery opened within minutes, and the patient can go home within
one or two days.”
For Safi, cardiology has been the fulfillment of an early
commitment to the health care field. “My dad used to work for a
hospital, as a medical technician. He wanted one of his kids to
be a doctor. None of my six siblings did, so that left me,” he
said with a smile.
His desire to serve people led to his interest in the health
care field, and Safi said he decided to specialize in cardiology
after his father suffered a heart attack, which left him with a
weak heart.
Locally, Safi said that the incidence of heart disease can be
blamed in part on the sedentary lifestyle many lead, and the
amount of diary products that area consumed. “That leads to
obesity which leads to other problems,” he said.
For his part, the 6-foot, 4-inch tall trim doctor has seen his
share of exercise. A sports buff, he played basketball in
college in Pakistan, and continues to stay in shape.
The schedule he keeps at the Heart Center and hospital should
help in that regard. Safi said that he and other doctors at the
Heart Center are busy, but don’t mind because they are committed
to serving the community’s heart-health needs. In fact, he
encouraged people who are at high risk – especially those with a
family history of heart disease, to come to the Heart Center.
“People should not shy away (from seeing a cardiologist),
because every state-of-the-art technology, and the knowledge,
are now available in Chambersburg Hospital,” Safi said, adding
that facilities and doctors here are among the best in the
country.
He encouraged people who are at high risk – especially those
with a family history of heart disease, to come to the Heart
Center. Taking action to diagnose heart problems before they
become critical makes sense, Safi said.
Better to head off serious problems early, “rather than never
getting up from the bed,” he said. “Give us a call. That’s the
reason we’re here.”
As with all Keystone practices, the Heart Center serves patients
regardless of their ability to pay. For an appointment, call
217-6944. |
