When Patricia arrived at HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital, she was certain she was suffering from food poisoning. “I had intense pain for 24 hours, and I couldn’t take it anymore,” she said. She called an ambulance because she “couldn’t even walk,” expecting a quick trip in and out of the ER.
Instead, what her care team discovered changed everything. Through bloodwork and imaging, tests showed an arterial blockage. Patricia would need a stent to reduce the risk of heart attack. “So, basically, they saved my life,” she said. “Thank goodness that I had those tests in the emergency room… I would have been home, and who knows what would have happened.”
From those first moments in the ER, Patricia felt the depth of skill and compassion surrounding her. She said the nurses were outstanding, gentle and caring. After her procedure while recovering on our Surgical Progressive Care Unit (SPCU), Patricia said the team “anticipated everything you could need and anything you might want,” grateful for how attentive they were, especially with her limited mobility.
Patricia was also moved by what she called the care of her “whole self.” She was touched when a colleague in the cath lab joined her in a quick prayer. And later, when she wanted communion, a volunteer stepped in and helped coordinate it immediately. “Everything I asked for, it was right there,” she said. “That’s going above and beyond.”
Throughout her stay, she saw team members stepping in for one another, never hesitating when someone needed help. “You could tell they all were led by the same thing: a good heart.”
By the time she prepared to go home, Patricia was gratitude for every person who cared for her. “Everything they did for me was outstanding.”
Take Charge of Your Heart Health Today
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