[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/07\/joes-cardiac-care\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/07\/joes-cardiac-care\/","headline":"Joe\u2019s \u2018Amazing\u2019 Cardiac Care at UPMC Hanover","name":"Joe\u2019s \u2018Amazing\u2019 Cardiac Care at UPMC Hanover","description":"Joe was working in his yard last year when he started to feel \u201cfunny.\u201d He quickly became fatigued \u2014 an experience that was out of the ordinary for him. A self-professed workaholic and retired home repairman, Joe enjoys working outside and staying active with family. As his symptoms worsened, he decided to take a break […]","datePublished":"2024-07-08","dateModified":"2024-07-02","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/heart-vascular","name":"Heart and Vascular Institute","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/heart-vascular","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/heart-and-vascular-institute\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-679549382.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-679549382.jpg","height":867,"width":1998},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/07\/joes-cardiac-care\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Heart and Vascular Health"],"wordCount":597,"articleBody":"Joe was working in his yard last year when he started to feel \u201cfunny.\u201dHe quickly became fatigued \u2014 an experience that was out of the ordinary for him.A self-professed workaholic and retired home repairman, Joe enjoys working outside and staying active with family.As his symptoms worsened, he decided to take a break in the air conditioning. He considered driving to nearby UPMC Hanover to visit his brother, who was recently admitted.\u201cI felt like I couldn’t do any more work,\u201d says Joe. \u201cI figured I would go to the hospital my brother was at and try to talk to a doctor there about how I was feeling.\u201dHe called his wife, Ginger, who was working at the time, and described his symptoms.Ginger insisted he call 911 immediately and wait for an ambulance. Thankfully, Joe did just that.\u201cThe ambulance pulled up and they started working on me,\u201d he says. \u201cI told the EMT my plan to drive to the hospital myself. The EMT responded, \u2018I\u2019ll tell you this right now: You probably wouldn’t have made it to the hospital.\u2019\u201dThe EMTs told Joe they had already sent his information to the hospital and a team of cardiac specialists were awaiting his arrival.Within minutes, Joe was greeted at the door by Gurpal Singh, MD, interventional cardiologist, and a team of skilled nurses.Dr. Singh introduced himself and told Joe they had some work to do \u2014 assuring him he was in good hands.‘I Was Just So Impressed’A few hours later, Joe awoke in a hospital room already feeling a bit better.\u201cDr. Singh said I had a heart attack and that he placed two stents in my heart,\u201d says Joe. \u201cHe told me that I was going to be OK and I would be in the hospital for a few days.\u201dJoe described his stay at UPMC Hanover as \u201camazing.\u201dHe and his wife moved from Massachusetts and say their experience with UPMC was unparalleled. UPMC Hanover is brimming with skilled, efficient, and compassionate staff, they say with confidence.\u201cIt is so incredible how well they took care of me,\u201d Joe says. \u201cEveryone knew what to do without being asked. I was just so impressed. I can\u2019t get over the fantastic service I had from the moment I arrived until the moment I left. I don\u2019t think they could have done any better than what they did during my stay.\u201dJoe says he hopes to personally thank each one of his caregivers, specifically mentioning great care from Aleksei Godok, MD, who specializes in hospital medicine at UPMC Hanover.Joe was discharged after a few days in the hospital, but not before his care team made sure he understood his detailed follow-up care instructions. Joe was never in the dark about what was next.He completed cardiac rehabilitation close to home in Hanover, noting it played a key role in getting him back in shape.Post-Heart Attack LessonsNow, Joe is back to doing what he loves most \u2014 spending time with family and staying active outside.He says his heart attack experience left him with a valuable lesson.\u201cI tell everybody, if you feel sick like I did, call 911,\u201d he says. \u201cDo not try to drive yourself anywhere.\u201dUPMC Heart and Vascular Institute offers dedicated and caring physicians and staff who are committed to providing the highest quality of care from diagnosis to rehabilitation.You\u2019ll always have the support you need to build strength, stay active, and feel confident during your recovery.For more information, visit UPMC.com\/CentralPaHeart."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2024","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"07","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/\/07\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Joe\u2019s \u2018Amazing\u2019 Cardiac Care at UPMC Hanover","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/07\/joes-cardiac-care\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]