On Friday, January 30, cardiovascular colleagues from across St. Peter’s Health Partners (SPHP) gathered at St. Peter’s Hospital in advance of American Heart Month, for the 3rd annual Heart Recovery Reunion.
The event brought together three cardiac surgery patients and their families, and reunited them with the care teams who helped save their lives. This year’s featured patients included Darrell Holovach from Hoosick Falls; Sandy Spring from Schodack; and Cathy Kondratowicz from Rotterdam. Sandy’s husband, Jan, spoke at the event, as did Mr. Holovach. Each expressed their deep gratitude to the staff for their dedication, compassion, and skill demonstrated during extremely challenging hospital stays.
Mr. Holovach spent 26 days in a medically-induced coma following a massive heart attack that led to the placement of six stents. He was in the hospital for 46 days.
Sandy Spring suffered a rare bleeding complication following a mitral valve repair. She, too, was in a medically-induced coma while placed on life support.
Cathy Kondratowicz underwent surgery in March 2025 after several aortic aneurysms were discovered. Her thoracic aorta had to be rebuilt.
All three patients are now on the road to recovery and had the opportunity to reunite with the surgeons, cardiologists, nurses, physician assistants, and patient care technicians who all played critical roles in their ultimate survival.
New at this year’s event, the nominees and winners of SPHP’s inaugural Heart Recovery Champion Award were announced.
Colleagues submitted nominations on behalf of SPHP employees who they felt demonstrated clinical excellence in cardiac care for both patients in acute care and ambulatory settings. The nominations are representative of colleagues across the entire SPHP cardiac continuum and include physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, technicians, surgical schedulers, hospital coordinators, and exercise physiologists.
This year’s winners were Amy Avery, BSN, RN, a nurse in SPHP’s Advanced Heart Disease Clinic, and Kelly Butterfield, PA, a physician assistant in the CVICU at St. Peter’s Hospital.
Other nominees included:
CVICU Team
St. Peter’s Hospital
Niko Argyris Dinoris, RN
CVICU, St. Peter’s Hospital
Ryan Feeney, RN
CVICU, St. Peter’s Hospital
Olivia Fuda, RN
CVICU, St. Peter’s Hospital
Colleen Hart
Exercise Physiologist
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Zachary Hecox
Clinical Pharmacist
Albany Memorial
Stephanie Helmer, MD
Albany Cardiothoracic Surgeons
Tara Hutchings, PA
Cardiothoracic Surgery
St. Peter’s Hospital
Erica Jones, RN
Cardiac Imaging Kimberly Jones
Office Supervisor
Albany Associates in Cardiology
Melissa Larocca, RN
Heart Failure Clinic
Sarah McMahon, PA
Cardiothoracic Surgery
St. Peter’s Hospital
Sara Merrill
Surgical Scheduling
Albany Associates in Cardiology
Kayleen Peat, RN
Progressive Care Unit
St. Peter’s Hospital
Melissa Seeberger
Hospital Coordinator
Albany Associates in Cardiology
Anna Sidorchuk, RN
St. Peter’s Hospital
Maria Sobieraj
Pharmacist
St. Peter’s Hospital
Rosette Tannous
Cardiovascular Technician
Albany Associates in Cardiology
February is American Heart Month.
