Phoebe Among the First Hospitals in the World To Use Advanced Technology to Treat Irregular Heartbeats

Albany, GA | July 30, 2026 – Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital (PPMH) is one of only three hospitals in the country given access to the most advanced equipment used to perform pulsed field ablations (PFA).  The procedure corrects atrial fibrillation (AFib) and other irregular heartbeats by scarring tiny areas of heart tissue that trigger faulty electrical signals.  Medtronic, one of the world’s largest medical device companies, recently installed the latest version of its PulseSelect Pulse Field Ablation equipment in the PPMH Electrophysiology Lab.

“PFA uses electric fields to target just the right heart tissue.  That was already an improvement over previous forms of ablation that depend on extreme heat or cold.  The latest generation does even more to ensure precision, improve patient safety and shorten procedure times,” said James Coman, MD, Phoebe Electrophysiologist.

Medtronic chose Phoebe as one of the first seven hospitals in the world – three in the U.S and four in other countries – to receive this updated equipment because of Phoebe’s astounding volume and success with the procedure.  Since January 2025, Dr. Coman has performed more ablations using the PulseSelect system than any physician in the world.

“I was actually quite surprised to learn that, but I think several factors explain it,” Dr. Coman said of his world-leading numbers.  “We have a lot of people in south Georgia living with atrial fibrillation that isn’t well-managed.  We also attract patients from a wide geographic area.  And we have an excellent team here at Phoebe.  We have developed an effective and efficient process that allows us to safely complete multiple procedures in our advanced EP lab every day,” he added.

One of those patients is Gay Moncrief, 73, a retired teacher who moved back to her hometown of Americus to be closer to family last year after living in several other communities around the state.  For decades, Moncrief suffered from multiple heart problems that eventually led to persistent AFib.

“I saw several cardiologists everywhere from Atlanta to Savannah.  They were all very kind, but they would say, ‘let’s try this or let’s try that,’ but nothing ever really worked,” she said.

The AFib caused fatigue and shortness of breath and disrupted her sleep.  “It was very frustrating.  I was kind of resigned to it.  I didn’t think anything had been developed that could fix it, and I thought I would just have to try to manage it the best I could for the rest of my life,” Moncrief said.

Then, a health crisis changed the trajectory of her healthcare journey.  “One night, I couldn’t walk.  I couldn’t breathe, and my sister took me to the hospital in Americus,” she recalled.

The team at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center stabilized Moncrief, then immediately transferred her by air ambulance to PPMH in Albany where she underwent two procedures to remove blood clots from her lungs.

“It was a tough, tough time, but they (the Phoebe care teams in Americus and Albany) were all wonderful to me,” Moncrief said.  “I was pretty much out of it for a couple of days, but that’s when Dr. Coman came in to talk to me about the procedure to get my heart back in normal rhythm.”

A genetic condition puts Moncrief at higher risk of complications while under anesthesia, but she was willing to try anything.  “That’s one reason I’m so grateful to Dr. Coman.  They were so careful with my anesthesia.  It was one of the easiest and best things I’ve ever had done.”

Moncrief says the impact of her ablation was immediate, and it’s been long-lasting.  She hasn’t noticed an irregular heartbeat a single time since her procedure, and she doesn’t struggle with fatigue or shortness of breath.

“I haven’t had any problems.  I’ve started to do more exercise, and just the emotional and mental effect – I’m not distracted by it anymore.  It’s just such a positive difference.”

And she praises the positive approach of Dr. Coman and his staff.  “I told him, ‘I love coming to see you.  The minute I walk in, every single person in your office has a positive attitude and a smile.  This is the most positive and upbeat doctor’s office I’ve ever been in.’”

Dr. Coman says that’s by design.  “We wouldn’t have been able to reach this ablation milestone if we had not built a team of professionals who are committed to finding the best way to help each patient and to do so with a pleasant attitude.  We want every patient to understand that it is a privilege for us to be able to care for them,” Dr. Coman said.

Moncrief remains a bit surprised she had to come back home to southwest Georgia to get the relief she sought for so long, but she will be forever grateful for the care and compassion she received at Phoebe.

“I would highly recommend this procedure, Dr. Coman, his staff and Phoebe,” she said.  “I think God has a way of putting us where we need to be.”