Macon hospital partners with Emory for specialized surgeries

Navicent Health in Macon and Emory Healthcare in Atlanta announced a collaborative clinical partnership Wednesday.

The agreement includes a formal restructuring of Navicent Health’s cardiothoracic, also known as CT, surgery service line, extending the range of CT procedures available to patients in Macon and the surrounding region, according to a release. Cardiothoracic procedures involve the heart and chest.

The collaboration is under the direction of cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Robert Guyton, who is designated as a Charles Ross Hatcher Jr., Professor of Surgery at the Emory University School of Medicine.

Guyton served as chief of Emory’s division of cardiothoracic surgery from 1990 until earlier this year and remains clinically and academically active. Under his guidance, the program achieved preeminent national recognition as one of the country’s top five programs in a number of areas.

Guyton and his Emory Healthcare colleagues will work closely with Navicent Health’s current CT surgical team, Drs. Peter Bolan, Laura Reed and James Foster, who have provided a combined 35 plus years of clinical care to patients in Middle Georgia.

“This partnership will provide valuable access to additional heart services for patients throughout our region, while allowing them to stay close to home, close to the care and support of friends and loved ones,” Bolan said in the statement.

According to Guyton, the clinical partnership with Navicent Health is already underway. Emory cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Omar M. Lattouf recently trained Navicent Health physicians on a new minimally invasive procedure to treat patients suffering from longstanding, persistent atrial fibrillation called the convergent procedure. In atrial fibrillation, the heart’s two small upper chambers don’t beat the way they should.

“Building health care capability in communities across Georgia improves access to high quality services for patients throughout our region, and can have a long-term impact on health care delivery and health care outcomes across the state,” Navicent Health President/CEO Ninfa M. Saunders said.

This story was originally published September 13, 2017 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Macon hospital partners with Emory for specialized surgeries."