Survivors

RVPA operates as an essential component of an integrated system of local fire departments, hospitals, and EMS professionals. Marin General Hospitals Cardiac Catheterization Lab’s rapid response to heart attacks ranks in the top 5% of all hospitals in the U.S.  RVPA is considered to be a key contributor to that ranking.

“As a recent cardiac patient at MGH, I learned first-hand the superior level of care and compassion provided by the Haynes Cardiovascular Institute at Marin General Hospital.  I am proud that such superior care is available in our community.” 
— Bruce Hart, Member, MGH  Board of Directors, and Board Member, RVPA.

Heart Attack Survivor Praises Paramedics Speed & Teamwork

Keith Grady was just finishing up at the Meadow Club driving range when a sharp pain in his chest told him something was wrong. A friend rushed him in a golf cart to the clubhouse, where a couple of doctor friends attended him and called 911. “If you’re going to have a heart attack,” Grady says today, “have it at a country club.”

RVPA Paramedics arrived within minutes and quickly transported Grady to Marin General Hospital. On the way, they administered nitroglycerine, started an I.V., ran an EKG and called the critical medical data ahead.

“When I arrived at the hospital the cardiologist was ready for me and had all the info he required to make a quick diagnosis,” Grady says. “They put a stent in me and I’ve been fine ever since.” Grady attributes the fast action, professional training and close teamwork of the RVPA paramedics as helping to save his life. “If I’d already been out at the other side of the golf course, we might have a different ending,” Grady says. “It was that close.”

“This call demonstrates the great results that are possible when you combine excellent pre-hospital care with timely, efficient and state-of-the-art response,” says Crystal Wright, Continuous Quality Improvement coordinator. “Not only does it save lives, but by preserving heart tissue and reducing damage, the post-event quality of life for the patient is much better.”

Dr. Eric Tepper’s Story

At 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, Dr. Eric Tepper had just finished what was, for him, a typical workout session at Gold’s Gym in Corte Madera. He had returned to the locker room to shower and go home. As a practicing physician Dr. Tepper was well aware of the benefits of exercise and so twice a week, for years, Dr. Tepper had shown up at the gym to complete his cardio and circuit weight training routine, sometimes with a personal trainer.

This night, however, went very differently for him. As he sat down in the locker room, there was a sudden pressure in the middle of his chest. The pressure quickly accelerated from mere annoyance to the sensation that he had “an elephant sitting” on his chest. “I was already sweating from my workout, but the sweat started pouring off of me” he remembered. He knew instantly he was having a heart attack.

Very fortunately for him, the personal trainer happened to be in the locker room at the time — Dr. Tepper said, “I’m not sure I would have made it if someone hadn’t been right there to get help.” He asked the trainer to dial 911, as he was having a heart attack. The trainer used his cell phone to dial 911, but was put on hold. Dr. Tepper had the presence of mind to tell the trainer that “a landline would be quicker.” The trainer, Ben Brock, ran to the front desk and directed them to call 911.

Dr. Tepper has remarkable recall of the events in the locker room. “The pain was really overwhelming. I had never experienced anything quite like it. There were none of the other symptoms that sometimes go with a heart attack — no nausea, no vomiting, no radiation of pain — but the pain was intense. I couldn’t think of anything but the pain.”

Within minutes, the Corte Madera Fire Department arrived. Paramedics Jordan Russell, John Higgins, and Paul Hager, along with Firefighters Glyn Jones, Andrew Lappert, Andrew Calvi, and Ryan Fischer, realized immediately what was happening to their patient. “He looked awful – pale, cool and he was sweating profusely,” said Paramedic John Higgins. They administered 4 baby aspirin, took his vital signs, attached the cardiac monitoring device to his chest and performed a 12-Lead ECG, a test that could identify the heart attack and where the damage was occurring. Dr. Tepper saw the printout of his heart attack and realized that he was in serious trouble. “I didn’t panic. I wasn’t frightened. Really, all I could think about was the pain, which was relentless. The guys from the fire department were so calm, so efficient — they clearly knew their business, which was a relief.” The medics gave him nitroglycerine and morphine to relieve the pain, but neither worked. The ambulance drove “Code 3” (lights and siren) to Marin General Hospital, giving the hospital the heads up that they had a critical patient who needed to go to the heart catheterization lab immediately.

Dr. Gerald Young was there and, after a brief examination, verified the serious nature of the heart attack. Dr. Tepper, on a gurney, was taken quickly to the cath lab. A large artery that supplied blood and oxygen to his heart muscle had become clogged. It needed to be opened immediately if he were to survive.

“By that time, I was a bit groggy from additional medication they had given me to try to relieve the pain. It was late at night, only a few lights were on, and everything was so quiet. It was a little surreal, to be honest, to be wheeled through the hospital under such circumstances.”

Dr. Tepper remembers little of the procedure itself. The artery that had been clogged was opened by Dr. Brian Strunk, and a stent was placed, returning blood supply to his heart muscle. He entered a cardiac rehabilitation program through Kaiser (Dr. Tepper is a Kaiser physician) and began his journey to recovery. Now that he has been back at work and to the gym for awhile, he says he feels great and, when he reflects on the circumstances, marvels at his good luck. “If I had been at home in southern Marin, the life-saving procedure would have been more delayed because of the additional distance from Marin General. I was in bad shape and I’m not sure what would have happened if circumstances had been different.”

Dr. Tepper says that the calm and efficient demeanor of the men from the Corte Madera Fire Department was a terrific help to him. “It was evident that they knew exactly what they were dealing with — they were just terrific.”