“PATIENT HEART RECOVERY REUNION” TO BE HELD AT HARLINGEN MEDICAL CENTER

PRESS RELEASE
Contact Person:  Kathleen Avila, 956-566-8163; kavila@primehealthcare.com


“PATIENT HEART RECOVERY REUNION” TO BE HELD AT HARLINGEN MEDICAL CENTER

Patients who received miniature “Impella” heart pumps to re-convene with their doctors at special 
event

HARLINGEN – A “Patient Heart Recovery Reunion” event -- featuring patients who have received a 
miniature heart pump, as well as Rio Grande Valley cardiologists who implanted the potentially 
life-saving devices -- will be held on Tuesday, February 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Harlingen 
Medical Center (in the main lobby), 5501 S. Expressway 77 in Harlingen.

Heart patients and their families, along with the community, are invited to the free event, which 
will also feature educational talks on heart disease by cardiologists Dr. Eduardo Flores, Dr. 
Deanna Yamamura, and Dr. James Stone; educational information on heart disease and the “Abiomed 
Impella® CP” heart pump; food and refreshments, and a drawing for door prizes.

“We are thrilled to host this special celebration to honor our physicians and staff, innovative 
therapies, and most importantly, our special patients,” said Kathleen Avila, Regional Director for 
Business Development for Harlingen Medical Center and Prime Healthcare hospitals in the Rio Grande 
Valley.

“Our hospital staff works tirelessly each day to turn unbelievable stories into reality,” Ms. Avila 
added. “Using innovative technology, like the Impella heart pump, has allowed our teams to achieve 
major successes.”

Cardiologists at Harlingen Medical Center have been utilizing the Impella heart pump since 2015. 
The specialized device may benefit certain patients who have suffered heart failure or a heart attack -- and whose heart needs help in pumping blood while they 
undergo further treatment.

“The Impella® benefits our heart patients by supporting function of the heart muscle, allowing for 
further treatment such as an angioplasty or stenting procedures to open blocked coronary arteries,” 
said Linda Bull, Director of the Catheterization Laboratory at Harlingen Medical Center.
“This is helping us save lives in some cases, by providing our patients the temporary cardiac 
support needed to ensure optimal care.”

The heart pump is implanted through a less-invasive method. A thin tube (catheter) is inserted 
through an artery in the leg, and then moved up toward the chest and the heart, where the heart 
pump is implanted.

The device then pumps blood from the heart out into the rest of the patient’s body, replicating the 
natural function of the heart. This gives the heart a chance to rest and recover from injury, 
infection, surgery or other procedures.

The heart team at Harlingen Medical Center includes cardiologists from the South Heart Clinic, 
including Dr. Hugo Blake; Dr. Michael Evans; Dr. Eduardo Flores; Dr. Juan Joel Garza; Dr. Shereef 
Hilmy; Dr. Frank Mazzola; Dr. David Yardley; Dr. Michael Balderas; Dr. Danielle M. Stone; Dr. James 
Stone; Dr. Deanna Yamamura; and Dr. Guillermo Salinas.

In addition, the heart team includes thoracic and cardiac surgeons, Dr. John Morales, Dr. Mark 
Bielefeld, Dr. David Ladden, and Dr. Michail Magarakis. The cardiologists and thoracic and cardiac 
surgeons are supported by a team of specialized technicians, nurses and staff in the hospital’s 
cardiac catheterization laboratory and surgery suites.

Harlingen Medical Center is an award-winning hospital for heart care, and has been named a 5-star 
recipient for pacemaker procedures for six years in a row (2021-2026) by Healthgrades, a national 
healthcare information company. In addition, Harlingen Medical Center is the only
hospital in Cameron County which has received the highest rating for patient safety, an “A” grade 
in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade ratings, for nine times in a row (from 2021 to 2025).

For more information about cardiovascular services at Harlingen Medical Center, please visit 
www.HarlingenMedicalCenter.com/our-services/cardiovascular/, or call (956) 365-1000.

The “Heart Talk” and patient reunion event is being held in conjunction with National Heart Month 
during the month of February. For more information, please contact Araceli Garcia, Business 
Development & Marketing Manager for Harlingen Medical Center, at 956-365-1848 or at agarcia70@primehealthcare.com.

ABOUT HARLINGEN MEDICAL CENTER
Harlingen Medical Center is a nationally recognized and award-winning general acute care hospital. 
The Level IV Trauma Designated hospital specializes in bariatrics, cardiovascular, imaging, 
orthopedics, emergency medicine, gastroenterology, gynecology, and wound healing care. Our concept 
of "Patient Focused Care" puts you, the patient, first! The design, management, staffing, and 
operation of our hospital are focused on your needs and overall comfort. For more information, 
please call (956) 365-1000 or visit www.HarlingenMedicalCenter.com.