Dr. Ansermo Arthur appreciates the work done by the Aiken chapter of Mended Hearts. The interventional cardiologist praised the organization's members, who visit and offer encouragement to patients with cardiovascular disease and their families.
Because many of the people involved in Mended Hearts have faced similar health problems themselves, the support they provide are especially valuable, according to Arthur.
"As a physician, I can tell a patient what I am going to do or what I am recommending," he said. "But I think it helps patients to hear from someone who can empathize with what they are going through. They (Mended Hearts volunteers) offer a different perspective, and they clearly have a positive influence."
The Aiken Mended Hearts chapter, which is affiliated with Aiken Regional Medical Centers, has nearly 100 members. The national office of The Mended Hearts, Inc., is in Dallas, Texas.
"We go see new patients every day in the hospital," said Pat Boardman, a past Aiken chapter president. "We introduce ourselves and ask them if they are up for a visit, and they usually say, 'Yes.' Then we tell them we are in Mended Hearts and that we probably can answer any questions they may have better than most people because we've been where they are."
With a little prompting, Patients often are eager to discuss what is happening to them, according to Boardman.
"We try to draw them out by asking them questions such as, 'What brought you here, did you feel any pain before you came here and were you weak?'" Boardman said. "That helps them open up and gets them talking. "
The Aiken chapter has monthly meetings from January through November, and it also participates in health fairs and blood drives.
In addition, the Aiken chapter has held a golf tournament each year since 2002. Proceeds from the event are used to buy medical equipment and educational aids for nursing students, law enforcement officials and emergency medical technicians in the community.
"I think the Mended Hearts group here in Aiken has really gone above and beyond the call of duty," Arthur said. "I was involved in a chapter when I was in Rhode Island, and the chapter here does a lot more in the community. It's not just about patient visitation The Aiken chapter also trying to diversify its membership by recruiting more women and minorities."
For more information, call the Aiken chapter's president, Skipper Perry, at 803-648-5882.
Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard.