Dr. Vasanth Bethala is the Chief of Cardiology and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Louisiana Heart Hospital, as well as a member of the hospital’s governing board. Having trained at Presbyterian – University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and at the University of New Mexico, he settled in this area in 1992. He lives in Slidell with his wife, Seema, and their four daughters.

What attracted you to the Slidell area—and what’s your favorite part about living on the northshore?

I had friends in the area who recommended southern Louisiana. My favorite part about living here is the people—and the quality of life. We have the quaintness of a small town, with a large city nearby.

We love our rich, high-fat spicy food here. How does that affect heart disease rates in this area?

Southern Louisiana has one of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease in the country. This is not only due to the diet, but also smoking rates are high, and 85 percent of people in this area at risk for heart disease do no exercise at all.

What new treatments are there for heart disease? Any exciting new advancements?

In the cardiac catheterization lab, more difficult interventions are being accomplished every day. New defibrillation techniques are helping prevent sudden death, and also are helpful in prolonging life in end-stage heart failure cases. Drug-coated stents are another exciting new advancement in prevention of restenosis, or the re-narrowing of a coronary artery after it has been treated with angioplasty or stenting.

Louisiana Heart Hospital recently received the JD Power Award. How did that come about? What does it mean for the hospital?

I was visiting my mother when she suffered a heart attack. I was impressed with the quality of care at Hackensack Hospital in New Jersey, where she was treated, and learned that they had been awarded the JD Power Award. I spearheaded the application process for Louisiana Heart Hospital, and was pleased that it received the highest ranking—80 points above the benchmark. The results are based on patient satisfaction surveys. Our staff is trained for two to three months in our patient-first philosophy, and is happy working under our unique patient-care model.

What do you mean by unique?

In most hospitals, a patient might spend time in five rooms before being released. We try to keep the patient as comfortable as possible by allowing them to stay in his or her own private room. Each room is equipped with intensive care monitoring equipment, with the staff rotating according to patient needs—instead of moving the patients from place to place as their situation changes. It is as if every room was intensive care, recovery and everything in between. This minimizes infection by cross-contamination and optimizes care, producing great patient outcomes.

Tell me about the upcoming Gulf South Medical Education Foundation Gala.

The gala is a fundraising effort to bring a cardiovascular care community education program to the area. The Gulf South Medical Education Foundation holds a yearly symposium for physicians on cardiovascular care as it relates to diabetes, high blood pressure, women, etc. We’re now focusing on community education on preventing heart disease. One of our goals is to establish an early intervention program in the school system. The black-tie gala is on November 6 at the Maritime Museum in Madisonville. For ticket information, call Kristen Cazaubon at 290-0025, or Shelia Patterson at 639-0202.

Do any of your daughters want to follow in your footsteps and become a doctor?

My two youngest daughters, Serena and Liana, show some interest at the moment. My oldest daughter, Melony, is considering medicine, but she also enjoys literature and is interested in journalism. Shalini, my second daughter, has no comment on a possible medical career.

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