FRANKLIN COUNTY HEART CENTER TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE, STATE-OF-THE-ART CARDIOVASCULAR SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY Dr. Michael Palmer Medical Director Franklin County Heart Center   (Chambersburg, PA) -- Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Franklin County residents have a higher risk of developing heart disease because of high percentages of obesity, lack of physical activity and tobacco use. The county also reported high percentages of death caused by stroke, CLRD and diabetes as well as a high population of residents over the age of 64. In fact, approximately 10 people everyday are presented at the Chambersburg Emergency Room complaining of chest pain and symptoms related to heart disease. In response to the overwhelming need for cardiovascular risk and prevention services within our community, Keystone Health Center, a public, non-profit organization providing accessible, quality care to individuals and families, announces the opening of the Franklin County Heart Center. Located in the Summit Health Center on 757 Norland Avenue, Suite 207, in Chambersburg, the Franklin County Heart Center will provide comprehensive, state-of-the-art cardiovascular services to anyone in the community seeking a cardiologist. Patients will have local access to a team of quality, experienced physicians specializing in innovative invasive, non-invasive and interventional procedures. "Franklin County Heart Center will be a tremendous benefit and convenience to our community," Chuck Bender, chairman of Keystone Physician Services Board of Directors, explained. "Patients will be able to have a variety of procedures such as angioplasty and stent insertion performed here in Chambersburg rather than traveling to Harrisburg or other healthcare facilities outside the area. With leading-edge equipment and quality physicians, we are excited to open this new practice offering better continuity of care to our community." Equipped with the most competitive and technologically advanced echocardiogram equipment, Franklin County Heart Center's team of physicians, will begin seeing patients at Chambersburg Hospital on January 1, 2004, and at the practice site on January 5, 2004. The physicians include Medical Director Michael H. Palmer, M.D., Aylmer Chuakay Tang, M.D., and Jan Dag Solli, M.D. Non-invasive, invasive and interventional services and procedures will include cardiac catheterization, stenting, angioplasty, pacemakers, transesophageal cardiograms, Doppler color flow imaging and stress echocardiograms, holter monitoring, ultrasound detection including ejection fraction procedures, and nuclear cardiology, to mention a few. Practicing cardiology in the community for more than 20 years, Dr. Michael Palmer is specially trained to perform and interrupt echocardiograms. Majoring in Biochemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Palmer received his Medical Degree from the University of Iowa in 1977. Dr. Palmer's post-graduate work includes courses in both internal and cardiovascular medicine at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. Certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners (FLEX) and the American Board of both Internal and Cardiovascular Medicine, Dr. Palmer is licensed to practice medicine in the state of Iowa and Pennsylvania. He is a member of a variety of professional societies including the American Society of Echocardiology, American Heart Association, Pennsylvania and Franklin County Medical Societies, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and American Medical Association. Specializing in interventional and non-invasive cardiology, Dr. Aylmer Tang has extensive experience performing transesophageal echocardiograms, and angioplasty and stenting procedures. Dr. Tang earned his Bachelor of Science in Basic Medical Sciences and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines--College of Medicine. He received extensive education and training at the State University of New York where he completed an internship and residency training in Internal Medicine as well as fellowship training in Cardiovascular Medicine and Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Tang is currently serving a 10-year term as a Diplomat of the American Board of both Internal and Cardiovascular Disease. Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Cardiology and American Board of Interventional Cardiology, he holds additional certifications from the University of the Philippines, Professional Regulations Commission and Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates as well as procedural certifications from the State University of New York--Health Science Center at Brooklyn affiliated hospitals. Dr. Jan Solli joins the Franklin County Heart Center as a specialist in non-invasive cardiology. A graduate of the prestigious University of Trondheim in Norway, Dr. Solli earned his Certification in Medicine in 1986. He was also certified as a specialist in internal medicine and cardiology by the University of Trondheim. Previously the Chief of Cardiology at Vest-Agder Hospital in Kristiansand, Norway, Dr. Solli has had several medical articles published in the Journal of Norwegian Medical Association. The Franklin County Heart Center is currently accepting patients. Please call (717) 217-6944 to schedule an appointment. The Center is located in the Summit Health Center at 757 Norland Avenue, Suite 207, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. For more information regarding Keystone Health Center or the Franklin County Heart Center, please visit the website at www.keystonehealth.org. For more information regarding this news release, please contact Karen Gross at (717) 975-2148, or visit the newsroom at www.hersheyphilbin.com. ###

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