From our heart to yours (video)

Sharp Memorial Hospital has provided San Diego with heart and vascular care for more than 60 years and offers the most comprehensive cardiac program in the region.

As part of Sharp’s commitment to providing compassionate, highly skilled care, patients who’ve had cardiac surgery at Sharp Memorial are given heart-shaped pillows to support their healing.

“They are given to patients right after surgery to hug and embrace as a way of supporting their incision to help with coughing and deep breathing, which is necessary for recovery,” says Kristi Ortiz, RN, lead nurse practitioner at the heart transplant center at Sharp Memorial Hospital.

All caregivers who provide care for the patient while in the hospital, including their cardiologist, surgeon and nurses, will sign the pillow with words of encouragement, support and inspiration.

“We give patients a heart pillow as a token of appreciation for the fact that they trust us with their heart care,” says Ortiz. “We sign the pillows as a way to say thank you and give them well wishes on their journey toward health.”

Watch the video above to learn more about these special heart pillows at Sharp Memorial Hospital.

If you or someone you care about is managing a heart condition, learn more about the extraordinary level of care and advanced treatment options offered at Sharp Memorial Hospital.