Published October 2020
Barry and Therese Bentley
Barry Bentley was inspired to support the Heart and Vascular program at Chester County Hospital in gratitude for the care he received.
"I have gained a new appreciation for Chester County Hospital in the last few years, since I have benefitted from services provided by the Heart and Vascular program. Last year, I had a cardiac catheterization with Dr. Boyek and Dr. Schillinger began monitoring my atrial fibrillation. I did some research on the hospital's website to find out more about these services and the clinicians who perform them. I discovered some very useful information about A-fib and the electrophysiology program led by Dr. Schillinger. I was really glad to see that the hospital has the latest equipment and facilities. I'm sure that also helps attract and retain good doctors (like Drs. Boyek and Schillinger) to our local area, keeping Chester County residents from having to go into Philadelphia to get top-flight care. When I learned that Dr. Schillinger was looking to fund new software to further advance the arrhythmia mapping capabilities at Chester County Hospital, I decided that it was worthy of my investment. My philanthropic gift was one way of thanking the clinicians and the hospital for the care I have received."
Dr. Kurt Schillinger, Chief of the Arrhythmia Program at Chester County Hospital, is grateful for the advanced technology that the hospital was able to purchase with the funds donated by Barry and Therese Bentley.
"Budget planning and approvals don’t always move at the same pace as medical innovation. Thankfully the philanthropic work of the Chester County Hospital Foundation helps us overcome these financial obstacles in order to advance our programs more quickly.
Philanthropy made it possible to upgrade the software and hardware that we use to map complex arrhythmias in the Electrophysiology Lab. The capabilities of this new software provide the most advanced treatment options available to patients with arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. This software improves our ability to perform ablations faster, safer, and more successfully. Having these additional tools puts Chester County Hospital well ahead of the curve in treating cardiovascular patients with the most advanced medical technology available.
I am thankful for our grateful patients, like Barry and Therese Bentley, who have generously invested in our programs and services so we can bring the future of electrophysiology and cardiovascular care to the Chester County community today.”
Volunteer, Ben Johnson, benefitted from the advanced arrhythmia software at Chester County Hospital, and now he walks through life to a new beat (literally!).
"After several years of cardioversion treatments for my arrhythmia, the next best step was to undergo an ablation. In the skilled hands of Dr. Schillinger, I was wheeled into OR 38, a state-of-the-art Electrophysiology Lab in the hospital's new Pavilion. Dr. Kurt Schillinger and his team had every tool possible for the task; a cutting edge facility, the most advanced arrhythmia mapping software, and an exceptional team of clinicians. The procedure took six hours and I am now walking through life to a new beat (literally!). I am grateful for the philanthropy that funded the new software, making world-class health care available to me and our community. My wife Wendy and I choose the hospital as one of our philanthropic priorities, in gratitude for the care we have received."