Eleven months ago, Jim Natale was playing competitive basketball on a regular basis, was not overweight and neither smoked nor drank. As a Senior Corporate Vice President for a large medical products company, Jim maintained a busy professional schedule and with his wife Linda, an equally active social life. Yet, unbeknownst to Jim, while he was living his life, he was experiencing a 95% blockage in four heart vessels. A major heart attack — or worse — could occur at anytime. That it did not happen, Jim readily concedes, can be attributed to the expertise and competence of the medical team at St. Mary Medical Center. “I have a family history of heart disease, and my own cholesterol numbers were high,” he said. “My physician Dr. George Heyrich monitored my health, regularly scheduling me for stress tests.” Jim felt good, experiencing no symptoms, no chest pains. But it was a comment from a fellow basketball player that he did not look well that sent Jim to Dr. Heyrich’s office for another stress test even though he had taken one six months earlier. Five minutes into Jim’s stress test, the technician halted the test. Jim protested, saying he had completed 20 minutes during a previous test at an earlier time. However, the test clearly showed a potential problem. Dr. Heyrich recommended that a diagnostic catheterization be performed as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the results showed a significant blockage in four vessels. Dr. Heyrich informed Jim that he needed to have a quadruple by-pass surgery. Given the nature of his career, Jim had contacts with healthcare professionals and hospitals throughout the...
Building a solid foundation that impacts patient care Tom Nason is the third generation owner of Nason Construction, which was founded in 1922 by his grandfather Walton H. Nason. Tom started his career rather ordinarily at age 13 as a laborer sweeping floors of a new freezer building construction site at Nason’s WAWA Dairy farm. His father, Walter H. “Toppy” Nason, Jr., was insistent that his son start at the bottom and learn all aspects of the business during the summers. It was important to Toppy that his son had an appreciation for each type of job involved in the construction industry, the demands of each job, and the conditions in which each employee worked. As Tom remembers, “I was not pushed into this field. It came naturally to me, and I love it. I cannot think of doing anything else.” Today, as CEO of Nason Construction, Tom follows the guiding principal his grandfather instituted when the company was formed: Excellence in Construction. This overall goal dictates every decision and permeates every project they work on, including the current St. Mary Rehabilitation Hospital. Nason’s philosophy is to exceed customer service expectations for all clients. The $100 million dollar family company that Tom runs is centered on creating long-lasting relationships with customers. “One thing that I will always remember is that my father, who was very well known and respected in the Philadelphia construction world, told me many times that he never made a decision on or for a project that was not in the best interest of the client! He truly believed in doing the right thing at all...
Twenty four hours. For Dottie Minter, those 24 hours represented life or death, but at the time neither she nor her husband Charlie knew a time bomb was ticking within her heart. Both Minters have been lifelong proponents for healthy living and proper nutrition. They were the co-founders of The Newtown Racquet Club (now known as the NAC), and have always been conscious of the power of exercise. Charlie, a high-profile financial guru whose insights are frequently requested on television business channels, says he relieves the stress of Wall Street with a regular exercise regimen. Dottie also has been equally committed to an active lifestyle. She maintains a healthy weight, rides horses, plays tennis, and avoids fatty foods. Technically, Charlie and Dottie were perfect examples of two healthy adults, but Dottie’s body began telling her that something was amiss. “I would experience days of a burping attack,” she said. “At first, I adjusted my diet because I thought I had indigestion or ulcers, then I started taking over the counter medication. Nothing helped.” At Dottie’s insistence, her cardiologist from Comprehensive Cardiology ordered a stress test. That is when the clock began to tick. Dottie passed the stress test, but she still did not feel right. Her physician then ordered an EKG, which she also passed. “My body was telling me that despite the good results from the tests, something was wrong,” Dottie said. “I was insistent that we follow whatever was causing my discomfort.” It was then that her physician decided that a heart catherization was in order. Charlie admits he thought the procedure would be routine, and Dottie...
Tom and Sue McGrath share many personal and professional interests and hobbies, but their foremost compelling passions involve family, faith and community. The McGraths have been ardent supporters of St. Mary because the philosophies of the hospital are so in concert with their own personal values and beliefs. They feel strongly that giving to St. Mary is an investment in the community and their family’s future. Tom expressed his great respect for St. Mary’s Community Ministries, Mother Bachmann Maternity Center, and Children’s Health Center which all provide social services and medical care to area families regardless of their ability to pay. When asked why he and Sue chose St. Mary as their charity of choice, Tom, as a member of the Foundation Board, quickly answered, “St. Mary is the epitome of diversity. Where else can you find an organization that does so much good for the community as a whole with such a wide spectrum of services?” Sue added, “St. Mary treats the human spirit, mind and body—the person as a whole being.” The Mcgraths freely express their gratitude for St. Mary’s cutting edge Cancer Center and heart and Vascular Center located so closely to their family roots and how blessed they feel to have fine healthcare and advanced medical technology so near should the need ever arise. “It is comforting to have a faith-based, non-profit hospital right around the corner,” says Tom. Although Tom’s Huntingdon Valley-based residential and commercial construction business, McBrick Building group, and Sue’s avid schedule of volunteerism keep them both extremely busy, Tom and Sue have a passion for living life to the fullest, both...
When Jim McCaffrey opened his first supermarket in 1979, he wrote a prophetic letter to all his customers, promising that his store would be an integral part of the community. “I wanted everyone to know that we would provide financial support whenever possible, but equally as important, we would be involved with the social well-being of the area as well.” St. Mary Medical Center can attest that Jim is a man of his word. However busy he may be in running his successful businesses, Jim has found time to serve St. Mary in several leadership capacities for 18 years, both as a Foundation Board member for nine years and an equal amount of time on the Medical Center Board. Currently, he is Chair of that Board and was co-chair of the last capital campaign. Jim and his wife Lisa are generous supporters, donating both time and financial resources. When Sister Clare invited Jim to become involved with St. Mary, Jim admits he had not considered what a life-changing invitation that could become. “I found that once I became engaged in activities at the hospital and learned about the wonderful medical practices that were happening here, the feeling of wanting to do more became contagious,” Jim said. “It has never been a matter of not having the time or energy, but what can I do next to help St. Mary’s mission.” Jim is often asked to give speeches to the St. Mary community, and likes to tell his audiences that he is the highest paid person on campus. That statement usually makes his audiences sit up and take notice. Jim...
