Intermountain Health will host four Heart Health Fairs on Friday, Feb. 6 across Colorado to kick off National Heart Month, reminding the community that good heart health can be a team sport.

The events in Denver, Grand Junction, Lafayette and Wheat Ridge, will give community members education and tools to help them improve heart health.

Abbie Donaldson, RN, is the chest pain coordinator at Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital and spent several years working in the cardiac intensive care unit and cardiac cath lab. She said knowing that individuals can make a difference in heart health has inspired her work.   

“With risk factor modification and educating the community on heart attack care and CPR, we can come together, and we can take actionable measures to help people save lives,” she said.  

At the health fair, people can practice hands-only CPR. Donaldson said accurate, aggressive CPR started on someone who has suffered a cardiac event outside the hospital increases that person’s chance of survival by 85-90%. They also can see a demonstration of an automated external defibrillator (AED) that can be lifesaving when used with someone who has lethal heart arrythmia.   

“The best thing to do when someone suffers from a cardiac event is to start CPR, call for help and have someone go find an AED nearby,” Donaldson said.   

Other topics covered at the health fairs will include:  

• Smoking cessation
• Symptoms of heart attack or stroke
• Stroke education and prevention
• Heart-healthy exercise
• Mindfulness and stress reduction
• Blood pressure screening
• Hands-only CPR and AED demonstrations
• Nutrition and healthy snacks
• American Heart Association information and more. 

Health fairs will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6 at Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital, 200 Exempla Circle, Lafayette; Lutheran Hospital, 12911 W. 40th Ave., Wheat Ridge; and Saint Joseph Hospital, 1375 E. 19th Ave., Denver. In Grand Junction at Intermountain Health St. Mary's Regional Hospital, 2635 N. 7th St., the event is 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 6.

Organizers encourage everyone to Wear Red for the day to celebrate the kickoff of National Heart Month.

Note: If members of the media want to attend, please contact Sara Quale, sara.quale@imail.org or call 970-310-3749, to coordinate.    

American Heart Month is designed to bring awareness to many factors surrounding heart disease, such as risk factors, symptoms, complications and new treatment options and tools. Mostly, it’s designed to encourage people to make heart health a priority. 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. American Heart Month reminds us that making small changes now can lead to a lifetime of good heart health. 

John Goolsby experienced these changes firsthand. In August of 2021, John got up from lying down, put on his shoes to walk his dogs, and felt a jolt in his chest. The feeling spread down both of his arms, but he went outside with the dogs anyway. After 5-10 minutes, he couldn’t seem to relax and couldn’t shake the discomfort. He began feeling anxious and his respiration was climbing. That’s when the fear of a heart attack came to mind.

John drove himself to the nearest emergency room and was transported by ambulance to Good Samaritan Medical Center. Once there, the doctors did an EKG and determined he had suffered a heart attack. In fact, he had suffered a severe heart attack known as STEMI, or ST-elevation myocardial infarction, which carries the worst morbidity and mortality as compared to other forms of heart attack. 

The heart and vascular team at Good Samaritan Medical Center put in a stent later that evening. John spent an extra day in the hospital because he went into AFib, or abnormal heart rhythm, but fortunately it corrected itself on its own. 

John’s follow-up care has been led by the Medical Director of Cardiovascular Service Line at SCL Health and Vascular Institute and Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Services at Good Samaritan Medical Center, Dr. Wojciech Nowak.

“Dr. Nowak has been a huge wealth of information for me following my procedure,” said John. “Everyone at Good Samaritan was absolutely top-notch. Every single person is there because they genuinely care for people. It couldn’t have been a better experience. I was extremely impressed. It was humbling the way they care about total strangers. I truly believe a person couldn’t land in a better hospital.”

John spent the next three months going to rehab therapy three times a week. Part of his rehab included nutrition classes. That’s where he learned about the crucial role your diet plays in your overall health and physical fitness. 

“The rehab nurses were amazing and they were completely interested in my care, my life and my lifestyle,” John said. “They always had answers to my questions, and if they didn’t, they would find the answers and follow up with me.”

Through these classes, he learned that he had the power to make a difference in his health. He had always been a fit guy who exercised regularly, but he spent years eating just so-so. 

“Our food sources are marinating in sodium and cholesterol,” John said. “We eat deep fried foods and our big plates are a true sign of the times. Our parents and grandparents didn’t eat the portion sizes we eat, so why are we?”

John spent decades eating a meat-based diet, but has since switched to more plant-based because he’s learned how critical good nutrition is to overall heart health. He loves riding his dirt bike and is back to working out as hard as he did when he was younger. His energy levels are up post-procedure and he’s lost 15 pounds.

“Unless someone has experienced a cardiac event personally, they probably don’t think much about it, and won’t until something goes wrong,” said John. “I want people to know there are ways to keep yourself healthier, and diet and exercise are two of the most important. Learn, change, and move out of the path of least resistance. The earlier you change, the better off you’ll be. If I had eaten better, I probably could have avoided this whole ordeal.”

Ten years ago, Laboyd Spradley found out he had a heart arrhythmia, but at the time didn’t do anything about it. He was healthy and felt great, and didn’t see any reason to be alarmed. 

On December 23, 2021, Laboyd went in for a routine checkup with his primary care physician. His heart rate was 35 beats per minute, so his doctor did an EKG and it showed a total blockage. He was experiencing an abnormal heart rhythm, known as AFib, the most common type of treated heart arrhythmia. An arrhythmia is when the heart beats too slowly, too fast, or in an irregular way. It can lead to blood clots in the heart and increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.

Laboyd was immediately taken by ambulance to Good Samaritan Medical Center. He was supposed to go to a different hospital but was diverted, a pleasant surprise to Laboyd’s wife, Robin, because she is the clinic manager at SCL Health Medical Group-Superior OB/GYN.

When he got to the emergency room, he had no signs or symptoms, which left the doctors perplexed. Typically, someone with that condition could have a myriad of symptoms ranging from fatigue and shortness of breath, to weakness or dizziness. Other staff members came into his room and told him they had heard his story and couldn’t believe he felt normal, given his condition.

The next day, on Christmas Eve, Laboyd and Robin had a consultation with Dr. Wojciech Nowak, Medical Director of Cardiovascular Service Line at SCL Health and Vascular Institute and Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Services at Good Samaritan Medical Center. He told Laboyd he would need a pacemaker. 

“Dr. Nowak told us there was no way around it because if he didn’t get it, he would die,” said Robin. “We weren’t scared though. He explained the procedure in great detail. My husband and I were so impressed with his expertise and confidence that making the decision to move forward with the procedure that afternoon was a no-brainer. We consented!”

The two-hour-long procedure went great and left Laboyd with a bit more energy. He spent a total of three days at Good Samaritan, and came back a few weeks later for an echocardiogram that showed everything was going well and the surgery was a success.

“The staff was amazing,” Robin said. “I want to include the entire staff on the cardiac floor who took care of him. They were so nice and attentive and we had the best experience, from the moment we got there to discharge, from the entire care team. We feel very blessed that he was diverted to Good Samaritan.”

Laboyd echoed her sentiment saying, “The cardio team is top-notch. Everyone from the doctors to nurses to nursing assistants were incredible. Dr. Nowak is no nonsense. I was never worried because he did such an amazing job talking me through the entire procedure, before and during. The doctors and nurses kept coming in to check on me. They were on it, day and night.”

Robin said she wishes she would’ve been more involved in his health so she would’ve known he had an underlying issue. She stressed that it’s important to talk to your loved ones about their health so you understand what’s going on with them and the potential risks.

“Laboyd and I are forever grateful to Dr. Nowak for saving his life and for showing the care and compassion that he showed us,” said Robin. “It really was the best experience. We still talk about how wonderful Dr. Nowak, the nurses and the entire care team were to us. Best Christmas gift ever!”

At his wife’s urging, during his annual physical in April 2021, Stan Foxx told his primary care physician, Dr. John Hornsby, that he occasionally experienced pain in his upper right quadrant while walking up inclines on his daily walks. Dr. Hornsby suggested that he get a stress test and referred him to Dr. Wojciech Nowak, Medical Director of Cardiovascular Service Line at SCL Health and Vascular Institute and Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Services at Good Samaritan Medical Center. 

Much to Stan’s surprise, he failed the stress test and Dr. Nowak urged him to undergo a cardiac catheter procedure.  

“I figured no worries, if there was any kind of blockage he would insert a stent and I’d be on my way,” said Stan. “Not so much. While undergoing the procedure, Dr. Nowak pointed out three blocked arteries and noted that I would probably require bypass surgery. He said that had my body not created a corollary blood supply, I would have likely suffered a fatal cardiac event.”  

Dr. Nowak referred Stan to Dr. Jason Shofnos at Saint Joseph Hospital. After Stan and his wife met with him and reviewed the catheter study, Dr. Shofnos agreed that bypass surgery was necessary.  

Stan’s youngest son was scheduled to get married in the beginning of July so he asked if the surgery could be put off until after the wedding. Given the fact that he had lived so long with the corollaries in place, he was given the green light to wait.

The Thursday after the wedding, Stan underwent what turned out to be a quadruple bypass. The procedure went great and he was discharged from Saint Joe’s six days later. 

“The teams of doctors, nurses, PA’s, rehab specialties, etc. that took care of me did an outstanding job and I will always be grateful for their care and compassion,” said Stan. “That said, thank God I don’t have anything with which to compare them to, but I can’t imagine a more dedicated, skilled, talented group of professionals than those assembled by Dr. Nowak at Good Samaritan and Dr. Shofnos at Saint Joe’s.”

Six weeks after Stan’s surgery, he embarked on the trip of a lifetime to Africa, where he spent three weeks in South Africa and went on a safari to Botswana.

“As someone who has exercised regularly, ate a fairly healthy diet all of my adult life and was in pretty decent shape for an older guy, I never expected to be faced with the prospect of having to undergo heart surgery,” Stan said. “It just never occurred to me. Therefore, I would urge anyone who doesn’t exercise, and who takes their heart health for granted, to reassess their lifestyle. In other words, if this could happen to me in good shape, it could happen to anyone.”

Good heart health is crucial to one’s overall wellbeing. American Heart Month is the perfect time to remind yourself that it’s never too early, or too late, to go see your doctor and take the steps needed to achieve great health and a happy heart.

“I can’t urge folks strongly enough to find out what you need to do to keep yourself and your heart healthy,” said Stan.

One hot summer night in August of 2021 in Grand Junction, Teyen Shiao, MD, was awoken in the middle of the night with pressure in his chest. At only 48-years-old and with no risk factors, the Grand Valley general surgeon assumed he was experiencing heartburn or an esophageal spasm.  But, after 5 hours, the chest pressure persisted and Shiao told his wife, Michelle, who happens to be the Chief Nursing Officer at St. Mary’s Medical Center, that something just didn’t feel right. 

“I told Michelle I was just going to go mow the lawn and see if it got worse, but she told me I was crazy and insisted we go to the emergency room,” Shiao explained. 

Without a second thought, the Shiao’s went to St. Mary’s, where they knew they would be in the best of hands. 

“It’s always kind of embarrassing to go into the hospital where you work,” Shiao said. “You don’t want to be that person who has a false alarm.”

Emergency Room physician Holly Buschhorn, MD, ran a series of tests on Shiao and despite his lack of risk factors it was quickly discovered that his troponin levels were elevated and two of his heart vessels were completely blocked. He was admitted into the cardiac unit under the care of St. Mary’s cardiologist Soubhi Azzouz, MD. But when the name Teyen Shiao appeared on his patient list, Azzouz was shocked. 

“I thought to myself, no way is this Dr. Shiao,” said Azzouz. “It’s probably his father or someone with the same name. And really, I hoped it wasn’t him. Then I walked into the room and was like oh my gosh, it’s him. I was completely surprised.”

Azzouz and Shiao knew each other well professionally. They sit on the hospital’s peer review committee and oftentimes share patients and confer on cases. But never had Shiao ever imagined he’d be his patient. 

“I’m always on the other end, performing the surgery,” said Shiao. “I definitely felt very vulnerable. It’s weird because I was terrified, but at the same time, I work with these people every day and had complete confidence that I was in the very best hands.”

Treatment options were thoroughly discussed between the two physicians and Azzouz performed a heart catheter through Shiao’s wrist artery to open up the two vessels.  According to Azzouz, this type of procedure comes with a potential, but unlikely risk that something could happen to the artery, causing the patient to lose feeling in the hand. 

“My living is based on using my hands,” Shiao explained. “God forbid if there were any complications my career as a surgeon is over. But I never doubted his capabilities and I trusted Soubhi completely.”

The heart catheter procedure was a success and Shiao was cleared to go home after 48 hours. The St. Mary’s cardiology team continued to monitor his heart function remotely.

“If I’m being honest, it’s a little bit different when you’re doing a procedure on someone you know personally and you work with in the medical field,” said Azzouz. “But at the end of the day, we treat them like any other patient and things will be okay and that’s what happened here.”

Shiao was fortunate to have a complete recovery of the heart function without any sustained damage. He is able to live life normally without any restrictions, except for his diet. 

“I love French fries, and now I almost never get to eat them,” Shiao said. “I love savory foods and now everything I eat has to be low sodium. But it’s been good and it’s well worth it. It’s all about perspective.” 

For both Shiao and Azzouz, this unexpected meeting has brought them even closer. 

“When I see Soubhi in meetings now, we’re still both very professional, but I’d say there’s more of a fuzzy feeling,” Shiao smiled. 

“I feel like now there is a bond that’s different than before,” Azzouz said. “This is a man who trusted me with his life and he had lots of options.” 

For Shiao, out of this life threatening event came two big life lessons learned. 

“I’m not the poster child of someone who is having a heart attack, yet I had one. Always listen to your body, and your wife,” he said with a laugh. 

And for Azzouz, “I’m just hopeful he won’t pay me back and I won’t end up on his table one day.”

Olga Firstbrook, a 64-year-old nurse, has worked in all areas of healthcare, including pediatrics, cardiac care, ICU, oncology and various management positions. She’s spent decades taking care of patients, which came naturally to her. However, when she had to learn how to become a patient, that wasn’t as easy.

A few years ago, Olga began experiencing atrial fibrillation (AFib)-related issues that included a rapid heart rate. AFib is the most common type of treated heart arrhythmia that happens when the heart beats too slowly, too fast or in an irregular way. It can lead to blood clots in the heart and increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.

Olga’s heart was beating at 120-140 beats per minute. For most healthy adult men and women, resting heart rates range from 60 to 100 beats per minute. Her doctor ran tests and she was prescribed a couple of medications. She continued to deal with her health in a proactive way, going back every 3-6 months to check on her heart. Her doctor conducted diagnostic testing, monitored her heart health with an echocardiogram, MRI, and EKG, and performed cardiac catheterization.

After moving to Colorado in September 2020, Olga began experiencing more frequent incidents of rapid heart rate, and overall was not feeling great. She went to a cardiologist in Boulder, who recommended she find a cardiothoracic surgeon. After doing extensive research online, she decided to seek care at Saint Joseph Hospital. 

In July 2021, Olga was told she needed to have a valve repaired. The surgery, which was actually three procedures in one, included a tricuspid valve repair, a right/left Cox-maze procedure to treat her AFib, and an AtriClip to block the left atrial appendage to help reduce the risk of blood clots. She was in the hospital for five days. 

“The doctors completely put my mind at ease,” said Olga. “They provided an in-depth explanation of my surgery and walked me through exactly what would happen from the moment I walked in the door to the day I was discharged. Being a nurse, I’m very particular and have extremely high expectations. I knew what to expect, but throughout the entire experience I had to learn how to act like a patient, and not like a nurse.”

Olga’s surgery at Saint Joseph was a success. For her cardiac rehab, she went to Lutheran Medical Center. Her daughter delivered her baby at Lutheran in 2020 and received excellent care, so Olga was already confident in the staff and the care.  

“It feels like a real family environment,” said Olga. “After receiving care at Saint Joe’s and Lutheran, you can tell they have a passion-driven mission. The staff truly cares and it’s a great place to be. The doctors, nurses, office staff, cleaning crews and food service workers were outstanding. They all showed such compassion to me – and to each other. Working in the healthcare field during COVID-19 and still experiencing that demeanor is incredible.” 

Olga was off work for three months in order to give her body time to heal. She began cardiac rehab about seven weeks after her surgery. Cardiac rehab is a medically supervised program designed to improve your cardiovascular health for people who have experienced a heart attack, heart failure or heart surgery. It consists of exercise counseling and training, education for heart-healthy living and counseling to reduce stress.

The rehab sessions, held three times a week, included exercising, strength building, nutrition classes, endurance and tolerance training, breathing training and various educational pieces. While participating in cardiac exercises, the therapists would check her oxygen levels, blood pressure and heart rate. 

“The classes were designed to educate and then re-educate us,” Olga said. “There was a real comradery with the other patients. The rehab facility essentially became my gym and it was like a pep rally with everyone encouraging each other.”

The doctors told Olga it would take 6-12 months for her to completely feel like her old self again, but she is recovering nicely. She stressed the importance of listening to your body and not ignoring your symptoms.

“If something doesn’t feel right, go to your doctor,” said Olga. “You have to investigate and you also have to be a willing participant in your health. There are many lifestyle changes you can do to help keep your heart healthy, like good nutrition and exercise. You only get one time on Earth and you have to take advantage of it. If you don’t, the consequence could be you might not be here.”

Life changed in an instant for Robert Mwangi in 2015, when he died at the age of 37. 

He had spent the day helping a friend move and when they were finished, they drove separately to the new house, his friend in the moving truck and Robert behind in his car. When they pulled up to a stop sign, Robert suddenly collapsed, became unconscious and stopped breathing. Fortunately, there was a fire station nearby and the paramedics arrived within one minute. They broke out his window and pulled him from the car. 

Robert experienced a cardiac arrest, the abrupt loss of heart function, resulting in near death. The paramedics were able to resuscitate him and rushed him to the hospital. He spent five days in a medically induced coma and the doctors put a defibrillator in his chest to monitor his heart rhythm. This would restore its beating if it suddenly stopped again. They also prescribed him medication and told him he’d have to take it for the rest of his life. 

“I couldn’t believe I had gone from being the healthiest guy in the world to the weakest,” said Robert. “I was in shock and had to readjust my entire life. I carried around an oxygen tank for three weeks and was down for the next six months. I couldn’t believe that I had actually died.” 

His doctors told him they didn’t know what caused his heart to fail. His arteries were clear of any blockages. He didn’t have high cholesterol. He was young, fit and active. There were no red flags. 

“They told me they didn’t know why it happened,” said Robert. “This, however, was not the first time I was given no answers.” 

Two years before his cardiac arrest, Robert woke up in the middle of the night and knew something had happened with his heart. He just didn’t know what. He was alarmed enough to drive to the nearest emergency room, where he spent 14 hours undergoing a battery of tests, including an EKG and a stress test, and was told there was nothing wrong with him and he was sent home. 

“About six months later, it happened again,” Robert said. “I drove back to the ER, where they performed every test imaginable, and again, I was told that nothing was wrong with me.” 

Over time, he slowly got better. He began walking, then running, and eventually started playing soccer again. Robert, who is a natural born athlete, moved to America from Kenya in 2002 on a soccer scholarship. He was thrilled when he was finally able to get back to playing the game he loved so much. Things were going well and he was starting to feel like his old self again. 

Since he was feeling much better, he decided to stop taking his heart medication. He wasn’t sleeping well and thought the pills may have had something to do with it. Soon after, he was at work and his heart began racing. He tried deep breathing to calm down but it didn’t work. Luckily he had the medication with him and he was able to take a pill to slow down his heart rate. 

In 2021, Robert met with Donald Rabor, MD, Medical Director of Cardiovascular Services at Platte Valley Medical Center, and Medical Director of the Heart & Vascular Institute in Brighton, because he was having heart palpitations and felt tired and weak. 

Dr. Rabor refused to accept that Robert would need to take pills for the rest of his life. He kept insisting there was another solution, so after studying the information from his defibrillator, he was able to determine that there was a particular part of his heart, specifically the lower chamber or ventricle, that would beat extremely fast, competing with the normal rhythm of Robert’s heart. He was told that this abnormality was known as ventricular tachycardia or VT. 

“Finally, I knew what was wrong,” said Robert. “It was the best news I’d heard since 2015!” 

Dr. Rabor recommended a procedure called an ablation, which cauterizes specific areas of the heart to help break up the electrical signals that cause irregular heartbeats. If successful, Robert could stop taking his medication. John Ferguson, MD, a Cardiac Electrophysiologist, who specializes in heart rhythm abnormalities, performed the procedure. 

“It took me two seconds to say let’s do it!” Robert said. “I was thrilled at the idea of not having to take pills anymore.” 

The procedure was a success. He was out of the hospital in a matter of hours and back to work in two days. And the best part of all, he no longer required medication. 

“I’d never felt so good in my life,” said Robert. “I was getting the best sleep I had in years. My heart was better and my oxygen levels were great. I felt like I got a second chance at life and I am so grateful. I know if I wouldn’t have come to Platte Valley, I might not be here today.”

After his experience, Robert had a new outlook on life. He had finally reached the point where he was able to slow down and reflect on all that had happened and all that he’d been through. He wanted to take his experience and turn it into something positive, so he began writing. Day after day, night after night. 

“All of a sudden the 13-year-old me who used to write stories came rushing back,” he said. “I had no idea what I was going to write, but I couldn’t stop. I didn’t know what I was doing and I had no training, but I was able to take free writing classes at the library and I absorbed as much as I could.” 

He wrote for an entire year and when he was finished, he had filled 600 pages with words. He read what he had written and realized it was the story of his life. It was the story of every young immigrant kid like him who had come to America. It was about chasing your dreams, never giving up, and allowing love to conquer fear. “It” became Whisper in the Jungle. And with that, Robert published his first book. 

In June, Robert plans to travel back to his hometown in Kenya to visit his former high school. He purchased 1,260 copies of Whisper in the Jungle to give to every student and teacher, and he’s going to sign each copy. 

“This book would never have come to life if I wouldn’t have been saved,” he said. “Had I not sought care at Platte Valley, I could have been dead by now. Dr. Rabor and Dr. Ferguson gave me a second chance at life.”