Blake Medical Center is proud to announce cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Alessandro Golino has been named the 2010 Doctor of the Year. Dr. Golino has been an admired and respected member of the Blake Medical Center medical staff since 1999.

Born in Marcianise, Italy, Dr. Golino received his M.D. from the University of Naples, graduating in the top one percent of his class. He completed his European cardiothoracic residency in 1991 also with honors. As part of his formal training, Dr. Golino spent 18 months working on the surgical and transplant team at Texas Heart Institute in Houston. In 1992, in collaboration with the Texas Heart Institute, he implanted the first left ventricular assist device in Europe. He then moved to the United States, in 1993, to begin his formal U.S. residency training.

Comments submitted for this award included:

• “Dr. Golino treats his patients like family.”
• “He’s very passionate about excellence and his outcomes reflect that.”
• “Dr. Golino has demonstrated great leadership in building a Mitral Valve Repair program at Blake and he is loved by colleagues, staff and patients alike.”

Since 2002, Dr. Golino has been practicing with partner, Dr. Richard Peterson, at Manatee Cardiac Surgery in Bradenton.

You can contact Dr. Golino through Blake Medical Center’s online physician directory, or call 1-877-4-HCA-DOCS for a physician referral.

We’re just days away from “American Heart Month”, and Blake Medical Center is proud to take part in the nationwide effort to draw attention to preventing America’s No. 1 killer, cardiovascular disease.

The American Heart Association has come up with 7 simple steps you can take to live better and keep your heart healthier.

Get active:  By exercising for as little as 30 minutes each day you can reduce your risk of heart disease.  So start walking now.  The American Heart Association set up a social media soul-mate to get your started.  Click here to sign up!

Control your cholesterol:  It’s important to know your cholesterol level. A cholesterol level of 200 or higher puts you in a high-risk category and is cause to take action. 

Eat better:  A healthy diet is one of your best defenses against the disease. The American Heart Association recommends eating a wide variety of nutritious foods daily from each of the basic food groups including: vegetables, fruits, whole grain foods, fish and lean meats and poultry and low-fat dairy products. 

Manage your blood pressure:  Hypertension is the most significant risk factor for heart disease. Statistics show 1 in 3 adults had high blood pressure, but about 21 percent don’t even know they have it.

Lose weight:  145 million Americans 20 or older are obese, according to research.  That’s nearly 77 million men and more than 68 million women.  If you’re overweight, you can reduce your risk for heart disease by safely losing weight and keeping it off.

Reduce blood sugar:  Diabetes is considered one of the six major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease by the American Heart Association. Studies show adults with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke than adults without diabetes.

Stop smoking:  Smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease.  When it acts with the other factors experts say it increases your risk from those factors, too. Smoking decreases your tolerance for physical activity and increases the tendency for blood to clot.  It also decreases HDL (good) cholesterol. Your risks increase greatly if you smoke and have a family history of heart disease.

To learn more about the Simple 7 plan, log onto mylifecheck.heart.org.

Blake Medical Center is also offering a free Heart Smart Screening Thursday, Feb. 11 from 7-9 a.m. in the Dolphin/Pelican Room.  The screening includes glucose, cholesterol & lipid panel and blood pressure check.  Fasting is required.  To RSVP, call 1-888-359-3552.

Blake is proud to have an award-winning Heart Institute with a superior cardiac program combining a highly-skilled team of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of heart disease along with advanced technology to increase a patient’s chance of surviving a heart attack with fewer complications.

For heart month, we are also offering two free Dinner with a Doctor seminars with renowned cardiac surgeon and Mitral Valve Specialist Dr. Alessandro Golino on January 29 and February 26 at 5:30 p.m.  A healthy dinner with be served. 

Reservations are required.  Call 1-888-359-3552, or visit us online at www.blakemedicalcenter.com.