HEART DISEASE HITS 'CLOSE TO HOME' AT CORAZON
This Valentine’s Day, Two Hearts Will Definitely Beat As One

Janaury 31, 2003 - Pittsburgh, PA—For Jerry and Jackie Johnson, owners of Corazon Consulting, a Pittsburgh-based cardiovascular consulting firm, Valentine’s Day will have very special meaning this year.

Jerry was diagnosed with coronary artery blockages several years ago, but at that time surgery was not necessary. He and his doctors decided to go the medication and diet route. Jerry improved his cholesterol levels and performed well on treadmill tests following his lifestyle changes. Then, this past December, he was planning to have sinus surgery, and his doctor discovered through a routine catheterization that he had serious blockage in several blood vessels serving the heart. No heart damage had occurred but it was imminent without intervention. After consultation with the cardiologists, Jerry faced open heart surgery the next day at Mercy Hospital under the direction of Dr. Ross DiMarco, the Chief of Cardiac Surgery there. The quadruple bypass was a success. Jerry spent more than a week in the hospital and several weeks recovering at home, but is feeling great now and is back to work.

The irony of this story is that Jerry’s wife, Jackie, was actually the Executive Director of the Mercy Heart Institute for seven years until the mid 90’s. She directed Mercy’s cardiovascular service line and worked closely with the program’s Medical Directors, Dr. DiMarco and Dr. V. Krishnaswami, Chief of Cardiology, and many other heart surgeons and cardiologists to plan and implement their program development strategies. Since leaving Mercy in 1994, Jackie founded a nationally known consulting firm specializing in developing first class heart programs and has worked with hospitals throughout the country. In fact, the firm is releasing its first “how to” book on heart programs next month. Jerry serves as the CFO of this company of “heart experts” and has had a complete education from his co-workers on all the facets of top performing heart programs, though being a patient was the best education. Jerry and Jackie found it very strange to be experiencing a heart program from the patient perspective---especially one where they still knew so many of the professionals there.

This Valentine’s Day they are appreciating hearts more than ever. As Jerry says, “The doctors and nurses were terrific. Taking care of a cardiac patient is an incredible job. I’ll stay with the books!”

Jackie and Jerry plan to spend Valentine’s Day relaxing in their Warrendale home while their cardiovascular consulting firm continues to beat strong. Jackie has authored a new book called Getting to the Heart of It, which is due out in February. The book reveals how cardiovascular units can improve patient outcomes while increasing operate efficiently reducing costs structures. . It also provides health care leaders an in-depth picture of how to develop and maintain a cardiovascular program and offers detailed guidance for undertaking the transition that hospitals must make if they are to become best in class.

Corazon is a recognized leader in strategic cardiovascular program development, assisting clients through the full spectrum of consulting services from feasibility study and business planning through implementation of services. The Corazon team of Heart Experts has assisted healthcare leaders and physicians in tertiary centers and community hospital settings to bring specialized advice and progressive thinking in cardiovascular services to strategic planning, market assessments and financial analyses, clinical operations and new technology, Heart Centers and Heart Hospitals, physician-hospital partnering, best practice benchmarks, and staffing models and staff education for well-developed or newly established cardiovascular programs. Corazon pioneered the application of the Universal Bed in cardiovascular care delivery and brings firsthand experience with service line management as a progressive organizational means for healthcare providers. Corazon is a 2003 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Company and one of the 2004 “ Pittsburgh 100” Companies.

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