Providence Heart Institute: a patient-first approach

Monday, March 20, 2023

[4 min read]

Anthony Scribner was 48 years old when he was diagnosed with heart disease. He received care at Providence Heart Institute.
Scribner credits the care and encouragement he received for helping him move forward after his heart surgery.
The Providence Heart Institute connects patients with a network of care to support the whole person.

Providence Heart Institute: a patient-first approach

Anthony Scribner was 48 years old when he learned he had heart disease. As a relatively healthy man with young kids, he was surprised. “I didn’t know it was my heart,” he says. “And then we found out that four of my arteries were quite clogged, and I needed surgery right away.”

That was 16 years ago. Today, Scribner has several marathons under his belt. “Getting the care and the encouragement to be able to do what I wanted to do has been key for me moving forward,” he says.

James Beckerman, M.D., FACC, a cardiologist at Providence Heart Institute, Oregon, treated Scribner. “I met Anthony when he was two years younger than I am now,” he recalls. “He was unlucky. And like any 48-year-old guy, he was scared, and he wasn’t sure what the future would bring.”unlucky. And like any 48-year-old guy, he was scared, and he wasn’t sure what the future would bring.”

For Scribner, learning from his experience with heart disease has allowed him to move forward in a healthy way.

“We have a lot of data to show that patients do much, much better when they’re able to participate in lifestyle modifications — when they’re able to exercise regularly, when they’re able to change their diet,” says John Waggoner, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at Providence Heart Institute, Puget Sound.

Connecting with patients is also key, Dr. Beckerman says: “Often we get bogged down in the mechanics of medicine, but personal interaction makes a big difference. How we connect with patients is a huge part of medicine.”

Scribner agrees. “When you have connection with people, that is something that you just can’t take for granted,” he says. “It’s a big piece for me.”

Seeing the life in you

As the leading provider of cardiovascular care in the region, our patients are at the heart of everything we do.

“As a patient, I would want to feel embraced by the people looking after me,” Dr. Beckerman says. “I believe we provide that for our patients.”

The Providence Heart Institute connects patients with a network of care to support the whole person.

“You have your doctor, your health care provider,” Dr. Beckerman says. “But you also have access to this ecosystem that is there to support you. Whether that means being able to run a case by somebody. Whether that means being able to use an educational program that one of your colleagues has developed. When you are part of a network, you have the ability to share seamlessly — to be able to bring those things out to your own community, and to your own patients.”

From general cardiology and atrial fibrillation to heart failure and transplant, our multidisciplinary team of experienced specialists treat the spectrum of cardiovascular conditions — and offer convenient clinic locations close to home. We also offer a prevention and wellness program that provides free classes, tips and tools to help you live your healthiest life.

“The Providence Heart Institute is something that we’ve built organically,” Dr. Waggoner says. “As I talk to friends who are not in the Providence health care system — even people who are in very famous health care systems — they often look at what we’re doing at Providence and say, ‘Wow. We would have a hard time doing that.’”

Dr. Waggoner believes the Providence Heart Institute’s capabilities will only continue to grow: “Every single year we get more and more talented people, like Dr. Beckerman, involved in the process. As we loop in more of those physicians throughout the system, we’re only going to get stronger.”

Transforming Heart Care

Providence Heart Institute is the leading provider of cardiovascular care in Oregon.

The institute serves as a center of innovation, delivering world-class health care to tens of thousands of patients each year. In addition to offering the latest advancements in diagnosis, research and treatment, the institute gives patients access to new therapies through clinical research trials, and wellness and prevention programs.

Learn how we meet patients' needs holistically.

Contributing Caregivers

About James Beckerman

James Beckerman, MD, FACC, is a cardiologist at Providence Heart Institute and medical director of prevention and wellness for Providence Heart Institute in Oregon. He coaches our Heart to Start community exercise program, directs our Play Smart Youth Heart Screening program, and is the regional director of cardiac rehabilitation in Oregon. He is the team cardiologist for the Portland Timbers Major League Soccer team and serves on the Sports and Exercise Leadership Council for the American College of Cardiology.

Dr. Beckerman is board certified in cardiovascular disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine and in nuclear medicine by the Council for Certification of Cardiovascular Imaging and APCA.

About John Waggoner

John Waggoner, MD, is an interventional cardiology specialist in Olympia, Washington. He affiliates with many hospitals, including Providence St. Peter Hospital, Providence Centralia Hospital, Capital Medical Center, Grays Harbor Community Hospital, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, and cooperates with other doctors and specialists in several medical groups.

Dr. Waggoner graduated with honors from Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine. He is board certified in interventional cardiology and cardiovascular disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

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