PORT JEFFERSON, NY – Mather Hospital honored seven paramedics from the Rocky Point Fire Department for their heroic efforts to save the life of a patient who had suffered a cardiac arrest.
Jeffrey Forden was working out at his Rocky Point home when he complained of back pain, according to his wife, Linda Sinanian Forden. “He got up and went to the couch and immediately went into cardiac arrest and from that moment, he was gone for maybe 20-30 minutes,” she said. “I called 911 within seconds and they talked me through CPR. There was no response.”
A Rocky Point Fire Department paramedic arrived and began working on Mr. Forden, taking over CPR and defibrillating. When more paramedics and EMTs arrived, they brought a LUCAS device to assist in the delivery of CPR. The LUCAS device delivers consistent and uninterrupted automatic chest compressions during CPR. “They worked so hard on him. They had relentless focus,” Mrs. Forden said. “I went in the ambulance with him, and they never stopped working on him.”
Mr. Forden was intubated and then brought to Mather Hospital. In the Emergency Department the electrocardiogram revealed that he had a heart attack. He underwent cardiac catheterization that revealed a blockage in one of the main coronary arteries of his heart. The blockage was opened through insertion of a stent. Before discharge from the hospital, it was determined that Mr. Forden would benefit from an implanted subcutaneous defibrillator, which was done at Mather’s Electrophysiology Laboratory.
“With this great team approach, from EMS to Mather’s Emergency Department, ICU, and the new Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Laboratories, we were able to provide comprehensive care for Mr. Forden,” said Luis Gruberg, MD, director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab.
“He was gone, and they brought him back to life. Even the fact that he survived, and they could bring him to the ICU, was incredible,” Mrs. Forden said.
“They spent a lot of time with me, and they didn’t give up,” said Mr. Forden. “They were very determined to see me come back, and I really appreciate that.”
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About Mather Hospital
Mather Hospital is an accredited 248-bed, non-profit community teaching hospital dedicated to providing a wide spectrum of high-quality healthcare services to Suffolk County residents, showing compassion, respect and treating each patient in the manner we would wish for our loved ones. Mather has twice earned the prestigious Magnet® recognition from the American
Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), which recognizes healthcare organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Mather was rated high performing by U.S. News & World Report hospital rankings in colon cancer, COPD, geriatrics, heart failure, kidney disease, lung cancer surgery, orthopedics, and urology for 2021-2022.For further information about Mather Hospital, visit matherhospital.org or follow us @MatherHospital on Facebook.
About Northwell Health
Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 22 hospitals, 830 outpatient facilities and more than 16,600 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 78,000 employees – 18,900 nurses and 4,900 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We’re training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.