CHS Provides Full Range of Care Close to Home

When Sherri Glock looks back at her treatment for a brain tumor, she is thankful to have quality medical care provided by Catholic Health Services (CHS) so close to her Nesconset home.

In October of 2019, Magdy Shady, MD, performed brain surgery on Glock at CHS’s St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown to remove a 2.6-centimeter mass diagnosed as a meningioma. Although benign, the growth would need to be removed before it became much larger and potentially impede blood flow.

The surgery was successfully completed using the state-of-the-art intra-operative CT Scan that helps the surgeon to remove the tumor with precision. This results in less operative trauma and minimal blood loss by using a minimally invasive approach and smaller incision, which significantly improves recovery time. St. Catherine of Siena was the first Long Island hospital to offer the technology.

After experiencing vertigo, Glock had an MRI that revealed the tumor. Although the growth was not the cause of her vertigo, it did trigger painful headaches and brain swelling, along with weakness and tingling on her left side that led to a stay in the Intensive Care Unit at St. Catherine. It was then that Dr. Shady recommended surgery.

While deciding to have brain surgery is never easy, Glock said the strong connection and high comfort level she felt with Dr. Shady gave her confidence.

“Going into surgery, I felt comfortable,” she said. “I knew Dr. Shady was going to do everything he could possibly do to remove the tumor.”

In addition to the quality care Glock received at St. Catherine, she also saw firsthand the reach of CHS. Prior to and after her surgery, the nursing and physical therapy (PT) teams from Catholic Home Care visited her at home to monitor her condition and provide PT services, an important aspect of her post-surgical recovery. Glock said access to quality medical care at home was of great convenience to her and her family.

“Having a system offer so many services that are linked together made a difference for me,” she said. “Everyone I dealt with—from Dr. Shady’s office to the staff at St. Catherine and everyone at Catholic Home Care—was wonderful and really cared about me. It’s great to know that there is such quality health care so close to home.”  

More information on the neuroscience services offered at CHS may be obtained by calling (855) 247-4500.