innerbg.jpg

Passionate Team of Experts Save Patient During Hurricane Irma

PCMC CATH LAB STAFF BLOG 10.19.17Billy Fowler woke up from a late nap feeling pressure on his chest and pain in his arms. He told his wife he didn’t feel well. “She told me to take a few aspirins,” Billy recalls, “But this didn’t help.”

A little while later, Billy looked over at his wife and told her, “You need to take me to the hospital.”

Billy was in a lot of pain by the time he arrived at the hospital. Billy’s wife dropped him off at the emergency entrance and went to park the car. By the time she came back, she said they already had her husband in the room, were conducting an EKG, drawing blood, and speaking to Dr. Ayhan Zia, Interventional Cardiologist with First Coast Cardiovascular Institute (FCCI), on the phone. “It was 17 minutes from the time he arrived to the time he was going into the cath lab,” she recalls.

Dr. Zia had slept at the hospital for two nights to ensure he could care for patients in the midst of Hurricane Irma. This ultimately saved Billy’s life. “I didn’t have an hour, I had seconds,” says Billy.

Now Billy is back at home, feeling healthy again. He could not be more thankful for the Putnam Community Medical Center (PCMC) cath lab staff, the caring nurses, and First Coast Cardiovascular Institute (FCCI) cardiologists. “My care was excellent. The doctors went above and beyond with me,” Billy says.

His wife is thankful for more time with her husband, saying she has “nothing but praises for the hospital, and for the cardiologists.” Billy is now being cared for by Dr. Ziad Alnabki of FCCI.

It is stories like this that inspire Dr. Yazan Khatib, President of FCCI: “This is an example of how PCMC is changing for the better every day.” He gives the credit to a stellar team of administrators, physicians, technologists, support staff, and most importantly, nurses.

“Nurses are the heart and soul of a patient’s care,” says Dr. Khatib, “Kari Bolin, Chief Nursing Officer at PCMC, has inspired a contagious passion in her team of nurses that has led to superior patient satisfaction.”

Receive health tips, news, and updates from First Coast Cardiovascular Institute

We respect your privacy and will never share your personal details with anyone.
SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT

Simple Share Buttons