(Pictured: George Vergara, M.D., left, Marta Weeks and John Dylewski, M.D., attended the dedication of the L. Austin Weeks Heart Rhythm Center.)
Marta Weeks recalls a time when her late husband, L. Austin Weeks, explained to her his vision of a center of excellence in electrophysiology at South Miami Hospital.
“He told me, ‘There are two kinds of cardiologists — plumbers and electricians. Cardiologists take care of the pipes, and electrophysiologists keep the heart’s electricity on.’”
Mr. Weeks had been treated for an irregular heartbeat — or arrhythmia — by electrophysiologist John Dylewski, M.D. Dr. Dylewski wanted to educate people about how the heart’s electrical system was as important as the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
The two men combined forces, and with a $10 million donation from Mr. Weeks to South Miami Heart Center, Dr. Dylewski helped launch the L. Austin Weeks Heart Rhythm Center.
“With Mr. Weeks’ vision, we’re able to reach out to the community,” said Dr. Dylewski, the Center’s medical director. “The L. Austin Weeks Heart Rhythm Center raises the level of care South Miami Heart Center can give patients with electrical problems of the heart.”
Mr. Weeks’ longtime friend and cardiologist George Vergara, M.D., said the philanthropist had planned to become a doctor, but World War II intervened. Instead, he became a successful petroleum geologist and director of Weeks Petroleum Ltd., a company his father founded. “He would be thrilled to see how his donation is being used to help the community,” Dr. Vergara said.
The Heart Rhythm Center offers the following services on an outpatient basis:
• The Anticoagulation Clinic treats, manages and educates patients taking bloodthinning medications.
• The Device Clinic offers ongoing evaluations of implantable devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators to ensure they are working safely and efficiently.
• The Vascular Screening Program tests for life-threatening conditions, such as abdominal aortic aneurysms, carotid artery disease and peripheral artery disease, which often have no symptoms.
• Tilt-table testing determines whether fainting episodes are heart-related.
• The Women’s Heart Program evaluates blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index to provide a picture of a woman’s cardiac risk and offers stress management options to reduce risk.
• The Heart Failure Program provides disease management options to help people living with this chronic illness.
For more information about any of the services offered at the L. Austin Weeks Heart Rhythm Center, call 786-662-4380.