G ra te f u l P a ti e n t
Local veterinarian becomes a patient in extraordinary circumstance
L
ocal veterinarian Scott Schwarting of Aspen Animal Hospital followed his usual Thursday evening routine of going to the gym to take his favorite fitness class — except for one evening recently that turned out to be extraordinarily unusual. “When I got home from the gym, I felt tightness and pain in my chest that I couldn’t relieve by sitting or lying down,” Scott recalled. “Minutes later, while I was on the phone with a colleague, the thought suddenly struck me: ‘I think I am having a heart attack.’”
“I AM VERY FORTUNATE I am alive”
FAST THINKING, POSITIVE OUTCOME Living only four minutes from Aspen Valley Hospital’s After-Hours Medical Care in Basalt, Scott immediately went there, where the After-Hours staff administered oxygen, checked his vitals and ran an ECG as they prepped him for an ambulance ride to the hospital. “What started as a seemingly normal visit became extraordinary,” recalled Bruce Bowen, MD, the attending physician that evening. Attending nurse Cre Donovan, RN, was getting aspirin and an IV for Scott when Scott told Dr. Bowen that he was experiencing jaw pain. Cre quickly got the center’s cardiac cart and attached the heart monitor when Scott suddenly became unconscious. Dr. Bowen began immediate CPR and Tabitha McKinney, radiology technologist, was standing by to apply the breathing, if necessary. “Scott experienced lethal heart rhythm with no pulse depicting clear-cut cardiac arrest,” Dr. Bowen said. Cre then administered a shock to restart his heart via a defibrillator. “During the second round of CPR, Scott suddenly woke up and said, ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘thank you,’” Cre recalled. Rushed to Valley View Hospital’s catheterization laboratory, Scott underwent surgery Thursday night. “I had one completely blocked artery and required two stents,” he said. Two days later, he was released to return home. EMOTIONAL REUNIONS The following week, Scott returned to After-Hours Medical Care to thank Cre, Dr. Bowen and the rest of the staff. “It was very emotional,” he said. “Just thinking how they were able to save my life was overwhelming. As a veterinarian, I realize they were doing their job; but as a patient, I have a great sense of gratitude and humility.” The experience was also awe-inspiring for the After-Hours staff. “In my many years of nursing, Scott’s experience presented the worst and best scenarios all in a matter of minutes,” Cre said. “It was an incredible experience to see him alive and well, and it was
2 0 HEA LTH MATTERS | W I N TER/ SP RI N G 2020
Scott Schwarting credits his fast recovery from cardiac arrest to the teams at After-Hours Medical Care and AVH Cardiac Rehab. Opposite page, bottom left photo with Scott (left to right): the quick-thinking After-Hours clinical team of Cre Donovan, Dr. Bruce Bowen and Tabitha McKinney. Bottom right photo (left to right): the AVH Cardiac Rehab team of Jeanne Stough, Julie Puchkoff and Melody Durham.
