Authors

Dr. Choudhuri is the Founder of Open Heart, and creator of the Generator newsletter. The project arose out of interactions he has with patients every day. He recognized that patients understanding their own implanted cardiac device – their pacemaker, defibrillator, or loop recorder – as well as their personal journey accepting the device as part of their identity is a key therapeutic delivery target.

The current healthcare system’s inability to meet patients’ needs, directly results in hospital admissions and costs that could otherwise be avoided. This is particularly true with implanted cardiac devices. The devices are implanted, cared for and monitored, while the patient themselves is almost forgotten.

The Generator provides continuous weekly data, information, explanation, and action suggestions to fill the massive knowledge gap surrounding these ubiquitous supercomputers and how life changes after receiving an implanted cardiac device. Importantly, The Generator focuses on the patient perspective. The device is the accessory, the patient is our priority.

Dr. Choudhuri serves as Chief and Medical Director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology service line at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital in southeast Wisconsin, part of the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin system. He holds a bachelor’s of science in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University with specialization in digital signal processing and neural network architecture. He completed cardiology fellowship training in the New York Hospital system and pursued further specialization in Electrophysiology under Dr. Masood Akhtar, one of the forefathers of Cardiac Electrophysiology. Electrophysiology – or “electrical engineering of the heart” as he puts it – is the ultimate confluence of Dr. Choudhuri’s intellectual passions.

Dr. Choudhuri continues to provide care to patients every day, and through this keeps his finger on the pulse of technology and the needs of the patients he serves.

Hi, my name is Emily and in this picture is my husband Beryl. I am a nurse who has been working in the field of cardiac electrophysiology for the better part of 15 years. I work specifically with people who have cardiac implants. More personally, I have had an ICD since I was young. At 13, I had my first cardiac arrest, or sudden cardiac death experience, and since then I have had to learn how to live with a heart issue, as well as with a computer inside of my body. I have had nine subsequent cardiac arrest events and my multiple ICD’s have helped keep me alive. I joined Dr. Choudhuri in our desire to help increase the knowledge of what it is to live with a cardiac implant and how to help others understand the reality of having a diagnosis that requires a computer to help you survive. The articles and subscriptions are beautiful in that they help explain the concerns or confusion that may arise from you, your family members, and friends, when it comes to living with an implant.

This picture is my husband and I on a ferry ride in Iceland heading to the Arctic Circle. This is an experience many do not get the opportunity to have. But I did even after my 4th ICD. It was awesome. Those of us with implants don’t have to be afraid of living our lives. We learn to embrace the fact that we now have a different kind of life. My brother said when I was young, “you just became Iron Man.” In that one sentence, he turned my fears into a superpower. It took a long time for me to accept being different, but it was worth it. Let’s try to embrace that idea and feel special. Since we are now unique, let’s make that cool.

I hope The Generator offers some support and guidance as you navigate your journey with your new device. If you have further questions, please reach out to your clinicians and please let us know how we are doing, as our goal is to support you in this new journey.

Sincerely,
Emily Weinshenker, RN, BSN, CCDS