I would like to publicly acknowledge Dr. Iraklis Gerogiannis, who was recently named chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery for Southcoast Health. Gerogiannis, or “Dr. G” to his patients, had a profound impact on my life and I am so happy to see him getting this much-deserved recognition.

I underwent cardiac surgery in November 2015, and my experience was phenomenal. As a nearly 40-year employee of the pharmacy at St. Luke’s Hospital, I had heard many times from coworkers and friends that the cardiovascular program at Charlton Memorial Hospital was incredible. But I didn’t realize how true this was until I was a patient myself.

Dr. G and his team made me feel like I was the only patient that they had. They listened to all of my questions and always had an answer in a timely fashion. He was the most comforting man. At the end of our first appointment, I said to him, “You’re going to be the guy that I fall in love with.” And he said, “I know because I am going to touch your heart.” I just loved that.

Having the surgery with Dr. G at Charlton also allowed me to be close to my family. My grandsons were able to visit me regularly, and those boys were my therapy. They were there to assure me that I was going to be alright. I believe that family means a lot when you are going through any kind of surgery. It was important to me to have them there. Having people you care about around you is such an important part of the recovery process.

I can’t say enough good things about my experience. People need to know that they don’t need to go to Boston or Providence for great cardiac care. If you are ever in need of someone to touch your heart, call Dr. G.

Theresa (Terri) Monteiro
South Dartmouth