Martin G Doctor Becomes Patient and Sees Colleagues in A New Light

Never expecting to need the services of his colleagues, he was the recipient of the “world-class care of the entire team, most especially the nurses, and specifically Dorothy” and is grateful to his colleagues. “My hat is off to the team. This is truly a “Top Hospital” for cardiac care.

The life of a maternal fetal medicine specialist like Dr. Martin Gimovsky, who treats women experiencing complications during their pregnancies, is exciting and fast-paced, especially when you are listed as a Top Doctor in the New York Metropolitan Area for ten years in a row. Unfortunately the excitement quickly turned to panic when he passed out and collapsed to the floor after a busy morning with his patients at JFK Medical Center in Edison, one of the three hospitals in addition to Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBIMC) he and his partners support as perinatal specialists.

Dr. Gimovsky was admitted to C8, the Cardiac Critical Care Unit, one of NBIMC’s most specialized cardiac critical care units for advanced therapies and where he often cares for his own patients, high-risk pregnant women. He was welcomed to the unit by 2017 NJBIZ Nurse of the Year finalist Dorothy Beauliere, RN, CCRN, who works very closely with him and his patients. She asked “Dr. Gimovsky, what are you doing here?” as he was brought to his room.

The specialized heart team performed a cardiac echocardiogram that revealed cardiac hypertrophy (or enlargement of his heart). Dr. Gimovsky then had a cardiac catheterization (or diagnostic catheterization). The next day he underwent an alcohol ablation of the affected area by interventional cardiologist Marc Cohen, MD, Chair of Medicine, and Chief, Division of Cardiology. In his third cardiac procedure of the week NBIMC electrophysiologist Dr. Stephen Rothbart implanted a pacemaker to assist with the cardiac rhythm of his heart.

After spending a lifetime in hospitals including 17 years at NBIMC, this was the first time Dr. Gimovsky ever found himself in the role of the patient. It was “a completely different point of view.” For the six days he was a patient at NBIMC, he said it was a unique and humbling experience. From his new perspective he learned very quickly how much the little things matter. He found his colleagues to be absolutely terrific, thoughtful and sensitive. In addition to their expertise, he knows he benefitted from their caring attitude. Every team member he was in contact with, from food service to phlebotomist was pleasant, professional and efficient. He now views his colleagues in a new light.

Dedicated as he is, in a little over 2 weeks Dr. Gimovsky was back to work in the OB Ultrasound department, in the Labor and Delivery Unit, in the Antepartum Testing Unit. Even though he feels great, the experience has definitely changed him. Never expecting to need the services of his colleagues, he was the recipient of the “world-class care of the entire team, most especially the nurses, and specifically Dorothy” and is grateful to his colleagues. “My hat is off to the team. This is truly a “Top Hospital” for cardiac care.