“Patient Heart Recovery Reunion” To Be Held At Harlingen Medical Center

Patients who received miniature “Impella” heart pump 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 life-saving devices — will be held on Thursday, February 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Harlingen Medical Center (in the front lobby), 5501 S. Expressway 77 in Harlingen.

Heart patients and their families are invited to the free event, which will also feature food and refreshments, as well as educational information on heart disease and the “Abiomed Impella® CP” heart pump.  The event is being held in conjunction with National Heart Month during the month of February.

“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 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, which include 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. The cardiologists are supported by a team of specialized technicians, nurses and staff in the hospital’s cardiac catheterization laboratory.

Harlingen Medical Center is an award-winning hospital for heart care, and has been named a 5-star recipient for pacemaker procedures for five years in a row (2021-2025) 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 seven times in a row (from 2021 to 2024).

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