New vascular surgeon takes over load after WMH physican's death
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on February 28, 2008 1:51 PM
Patients requiring chest and vascular surgeries no longer need to travel out of Wayne County for treatment.
Dr. Marvin Ewy (pronounced A-vee) has worked steadily since being hired by Eastern Carolina Surgical Associates several months ago, said Dr. Gilbert Garcia of the practice.
Dr. Ewy, 47, relocated from Tucson, Ariz. His primary specialty is cardio thoracic and general surgery, which also includes peripheral vascular disease.
In his new role, he will concentrate more on general, vascular and thoracic surgeries, Garcia said, explaining the latter as relating to diseases of the arteries and veins.
"We're very happy that Dr. Ewy and his family have come to Goldsboro," Garcia said. "His expertise in the fields of vascular and thoracic surgery will be a big asset for the practice and the community.
"He will be able to provide state of the art procedures for patients having peripheral and vascular chest disease that needs surgical intervention."
Ewy was recruited to replace Dr. Jose Guijarro, who died in an automobile accident in January 2007. The death left a void that has been felt not only by the practice but by Wayne Memorial Hospital and the surrounding community.
"Because of Dr. Guijarro's passing a year ago, the cases he had been doing had been referred out of town," Garcia said. "They can stay in the area now because he's more than qualified to handle these things."
"When we lost Dr. Guijarro, the community really lost a surgeon who had a particular set of skills, it was one of a kind for this community," added Bill Paugh, president of Wayne Memorial Hospital. "Finding someone with a comparable skill set was not an easy thing to do."
Finding a replacement proved not only lengthy but uniquely challenging.
"You had to go through the process of making sure this was the right fit for him and the family. Plus the whole issue of licensure in the state, it has become a good deal more complicated and time consuming that it was in the past," Paugh said.
The delay resulted in patients going without access to the surgical skills from mid-January until November, with referrals made to other areas in the meantime.
"We didn't have that kind of surgical back-up," Paugh explained. "We were more comfortable referring out of the community."
Securing a replacement has been a relief, he added.
"We are very glad to have him here," Paugh said. "He's a very talented surgeon. We think that things are going well for him here in the community ... and that he will be a tremendous asset to the community."