Raymond Schaerf, M.D., a Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Chief of Staff-elect at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, became the first physician in the United States to implant a new “smart” pacemaker that gives instant feedback to doctors.

The Zephyr^TM pacemaker, which just received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval this month, is designed to save valuable clinic time by automatically performing all standard follow-up testing before the patient arrives in the clinic. It is also the first pacemaker that can tell physicians (in about 90 seconds) which device timing settings are optimal for each patient’s needs.

“My patients are assured of appropriate pacing without unnecessary battery drain,” Schaerf said about the new Zephyr^TM pacemaker. “The extended longevity assures my patient of a longer-lasting device with very advanced features and, in turn, fewer replacement surgeries, which combats their main concern about receiving a pacemaker.”

Schaerf is recognized as a national leader in pacemaker implantation as well as the extraction of old pacemaker leads. In 1979 he pioneered the first dual-chamber pacemaker implant, with one lead going to the atrium and another to the ventricle, to allow both heart chambers to be paced.

In 2001, Schaerf became the first physician in the Western United States to perform a human implant of an investigational, technologically-advanced pacemaker lead, known as a CapSure, to treat a patient for bradycardia -- also know as slow heart rate.

Schaerf is one of the many expert physicians on the medical staff that has allowed Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center to be recognized as a leader in heart care. The medical center received a five-star rating for clinical excellence in cardiac services in 2007 from HealthGrades, the nation’s leading healthcare ratings company. HealthGrades also has rated Providence Saint Joseph as the best in the San Fernando Valley for heart surgery.

Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center is one of the first three hospitals in Los Angeles County to be designated as a specialty center for acute heart attack patients. To receive this designation, emergency physicians, cardiologists and clinicians at the medical center work directly with paramedics in the field as paramedics relay EKG readings showing that a patient is suffering a specific heart attack, known as a STEMI (ST-elevated myocardial infarction) that can permanently damage heart muscle without early intervention.

To learn more about pacemaker implantation and cardiac services provided at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, call toll-free 1-888-HEALING (1-888-432-5464) or visit us on the web at www.providence.org/losangeles.