Cardiac Patient Feature: Time is Muscle

With shortness of breath and crushing weight on his chest, John Kirby knew he needed to get to hospital quickly. His wife called 911 and quickly Mr. Kirby was on his way to the Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital Emergency Department.

While in the ambulance, paramedics performed an EKG on Mr. Kirby and the results were sent directly to the Emergency Department. He was suffering a heart attack. Once he arrived a team made up of interventional cardiologists and nurses were waiting for him. He was given life-saving cardiac catheterization and stents were placed in his heart to immediately improve blood flow.

"It was incredible," he said. "That's the only word I can use. They did the EKG and got me there and before I knew it, I was in the cath lab and out of pain."