Seton Medical Center Hays Celebrates 100 Heart Surgeries In One Year

“My surgery seemed like it never even really happened thanks to my easy recovery,” said Denver Pletcher, 69, a retired Air Force helicopter pilot, who recently underwent quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery. “Dr. McNeil made me felt reassured every step of the way. My experience was phenomenal.”

Yesterday, Seton Medical Center Hays celebrated its 100^th heart surgery case since July 2016.

In previous years, the center performed one-third of the number of heart surgeries. According to Seton officials, the jump in heart surgeries is partially related to Seton’s new Cardiothoracic surgeon, Jeffrey McNeil, MD, FACEs.

McNeil started performing operations at Seton Hays last summer.

“My surgery seemed like it never even really happened thanks to my easy recovery,” said Denver Pletcher, 69, a retired Air Force helicopter pilot, who recently underwent quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery. “Dr. McNeil made me felt reassured every step of the way. My experience was phenomenal.”

Pletcher was doing yard work one day last August when he said something didn’t feel right. He asked his wife to drive him to the Seton Hays emergency department where he was immediately diagnosed with a heart attack. 

The celebration’s events included a blessing by Seton Chaplain services, remarks from Seton Leaders and a red heart balloon release. Representatives from Seton Heart Institute, Hays Consolidated Independent School District, City of Kyle and area chambers of commerce attended the event.

Seton Hays—part of Ascension, the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system—offers comprehensive heart care, including two 24-hour invasive cardiac catheterization labs, emergent cardiac surgery and rehab programs.

The hospital is accredited as a Chest Pain Center from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care, which is garnered by meeting or exceeding stringent criteria of treating heart patients.

In addition, Seton Hays received the American College of Cardiology Foundation’s Action Registry—GWTG Silver Performance Achievement Award, which recognizes a higher standard of care for heart attack patients.

The hospital, which serves Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell and surrounding counties as well as the New Braunfels community, provides the most advanced trauma care available in the region between South Austin and North San Antonio.

In June, Seton Hays announced its investments in trauma care, including more than $500,000 to upgrade its operating and emergency rooms.

About Seton Healthcare Family

In Texas, Ascension operates Providence Healthcare Network and Seton Healthcare Family, which includes Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas and another 120 related clinical facilities that together employ more than 13,000 employees. Across Texas, Ascension provided more than $910 million in community benefit and charity care in fiscal year 2015. Serving Texas for 114 years, Ascension is a faith-based health care organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension is the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system, operating 2,500 sites of care – including 141 hospitals and more than 30 senior living facilities – in 24 states and the District of Columbia. Visit www.seton.net.