The Welsh Heart Center at the Indian River Medical Center just dealt itself another ace of hearts.
Cardio-thoracic surgeon Dr. John (Jack) Brock has joined the staff, bringing with him some highly impressive credentials.
For starters, Brock trained with – and then spent a decade working alongside – the legendary Dr. Michael DeBakey.
While the name Michael DeBakey might not ring a bell with millennials, to a somewhat older generation, that name probably triggers a virtual carillon of bells.
Dubbed “the greatest surgeon ever” by the American Medical Association back in 2005, DeBakey passed away at the age of 99 in 2008, leaving behind an almost mind-boggling list of cardiovascular innovations and achievements.
DeBakey pioneered coronary bypass surgeries, treatments for arteriosclerosis, development of the earliest heart-lung machines, procedures to treat and repair torn aortas, the use of arterial grafts and dozens of other innovations which, according to his New York Times obituary, “have saved millions of lives worldwide.” In his career, DeBakey performed over 60,000 procedures.
At the Welsh Center, Brock joins fellow DeBakey student and protégé Dr. Cary Stowe and the equally impressive Dr. Mark Malias to form the surgical core of the program.
Brock minces no words about his excitement in coming to Vero.
“Dr. Stowe and Dr. Malias have put together a really good team here,” he says, “I’ve traveled around the country to various hospitals and operated in several states and this is by far and away the better program that I’ve seen. It’s a great team. That’s why I’m here.”
Brock, the former director of cardiac surgery at Tampa General Hospital, then starts talking about heart valve surgery and esophageal procedures as well as what he still wants to learn about his specialty.
“There’s no one else doing minimally-invasive valve surgery on this coast as far as I know,” explains Brock, adding that, “no one in Orlando is doing it either. That’s something that I haven’t done and they [Stowe and Malias] are teaching me to do it.”
For a veteran cardio-thoracic surgeon who has performed demanding heart and lung transplants, the allure of learning something new clearly appeals to Brock. He quickly adds that what Stowe and Malias have accomplished “is impressive because the outcomes are better for the patients.”
Brock is also keen to expand his work into an even less common procedure. “There are only a few surgeons doing esophageal surgery in the state of Florida,” says Brock, “but I don’t see any reason why people should have to leave this area – the Treasure Coast – to have esophageal surgery.”
As the conversation continues, however, Brock goes back to his first topic. It’s one he clearly values. Teamwork.
“There’s a team approach” at the Vero heart center, he says, “which a lot of hospitals in this area – and in this country – do not have anymore. It’s just ‘hernia this morning, gall bladder this afternoon, and, oh let’s do a heart.’ But that’s not how the Welsh Heart Center is put together.”
Brock first cites cardiac fellowship-trained anesthesiologists Geoff Wolf and John Lindenthal while also giving a nod to the entire anesthesiology department.
Then he goes out of his way to also mention the pre-operative and diagnostic staffs, the cath lab, the operating room staff, and the post-operative and rehabilitation crews.
He also praises the center’s physician assistants: “We have three great PAs and they do a fantastic job,” says Brock. “Again, many programs don’t have any mid-levels, any PAs or nurse practitioners.
“The surgeons do it all, and, again, they don’t focus on what they need to when they do that. This is set up totally different. These folks here really are better at putting forth an effort – more than I’ve ever seen – I’m not kidding you. They are seriously committed and they are actually happy with what they do.”
Dr. John Brock is now with the Welsh Heart Center. His offices are at 3450 11th Court, Suite 109 in Vero Beach. The phone number is 772-563-4580.
