5 / 8
SimiValleyHospital.com
|
Living Well
5
Helping a
heart in crisis
When a heart attack strikes, every minute
matters. Simi Valley Hospital’s Cardiac
Catheterization Laboratory works seam-
lessly with the hospital’s Emergency
Department to restore blood flow to the
hearts of heart attack patients through
emergency angioplasty—a process that
opens up blocked arteries.
The Cardiac Cath Lab is Ventura
County’s first-ever hybrid lab, which means
it can be converted into a fully functional
open-heart surgery suite at a moment’s
notice whenever a cardiologist deter-
mines that surgery is a better choice than
angioplasty. This capability saves precious
moments, when patients would otherwise
have to be transported to a surgical suite.
Gratitude
from
the
heart
FORMER PATIENT RETURNS TO SAY THANKS
TO EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT TEAM
Shawn Willson (far right) returned to Simi Valley
Hospital’s Emergency Department on June 19 to thank
the people who played a part in saving his life following
his heart attack on April 20. Pictured with him are
Emergency Department team members Sheri Dungan, RN,
and emergency medical technician Anthony Miller, and
Willson’s son, Brandon.
See page 7 for information
about Simi Valley Hospital’s
new Heart Attack Survivors’
Support Group.
AS SHAWN WILLSON
started preparing for work
on the morning of Monday, April 20, he was ready to
take on the week—and the world.
“I woke up feeling invincible and taking life for
granted, as I always did,” he
later wrote.
Then, in just an instant, his
life changed dramatically.
“One hour later, I was here
[Simi Valley Hospital], getting
a rude awakening,” he wrote. “Most of my worst
nightmares were coming true. My life was being
changed forever.”
Willson had suffered a heart attack and was rushed
to Simi Valley Hospital. The team in the hospital’s
Emergency Department went to work to save his life.
Soon, he was taken to the hospital’s new Cardiac
Catheterization Laboratory, where a cardiologist opened
up his blocked artery to restore blood flow to his heart.
Emergency Department staff member Sheri
Dungan, RN, said that the ability of the Emergency
Department team to utilize the services of the Cardiac
Catheterization Lab was the
critical factor in saving Willson’s life.
“The Cardiac Cath Lab enables us to liter-
ally stop a heart attack in progress,” she said. “It is an
important addition to the hospital’s
services that will save a lot of lives.”
Willson and his family returned
to Simi Valley Hospital’s Emergency
Department on June 19 to express
their gratitude for the care he
received on the worst day of his life. Because Willson’s
throat was still sore from the tubes inserted during
his care, his father-in-law, John Childress, read from a
message Willson had written.
“After I was discharged from the hospital,” he said,
“my family and I knew we wanted to do something to
show our appreciation to the entire staff at Simi Valley
Hospital that had anything whatsoever to do with my
care, because the level of professionalism, treatment and
compassion that we received was more than we could
have ever hoped for.”
Tears of joy and gratitude from both the Willson
family and the Simi Valley Hospital team fell as Childress
finished Willson’s remarks.
“It is impossible for me to put into words the level of
gratitude I feel for each and every one of you, for not
giving up, no matter how many times I coded,” he said.
“My family and I are now Simi Valley Hospital’s biggest
advocates, and I mean that from the bottom of my
heart—which is still beating, thanks to all of you!”