Winthrop-University Hospital's "Long Island Miracles" Advocacy Group, the Long Island Chapter of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association, will feature a guest speaker at their September 22, 2008 meeting, who will address "Living Well With an ICD." The meeting will be held at Winthrop's Community Outreach Center, located at 101 Mineola Boulevard, at the corner of Second Street in Mineola, and will begin at 7:00 PM.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is an abrupt loss of heart function. A major health problem, it kills an estimated 325,000 people each year in the United States. It is triggered by an electrical problem that causes the heart to stop beating, and is often confused with a heart attack. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is used in patients at risk for recurrent, sustained ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation.

Special guest speaker Rebecca Fallon, a Medtronic Therapy Specialist, holds a master's degree in Clinical and Health Psychology. She will speak about the psychological aspects of living with an ICD. A question and answer period will follow the lecture.

The meeting will be facilitated by Long Island Miracles' Chairperson, Andrea Ellinger, RN, a cardiac care nurse at Winthrop's Institute for Heart Care. For further information or to reserve a seat, please call (516) 663-3889 or e-mail

longislandmiracles@suddencardiacarrest.org.