Jim Natale

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 country. He admits he could have gone anywhere, but. Dr. Heyrich recommended a colleague closer to home at St. Mary Medical Center. Dr. Todd Nixon came with the highest of recommendations — the best in his profession.

Within days, Dr. Nixon performed the surgery using the latest beating heart techniques which do not traumatize the heart. Two little cuts were made on Jim’s leg where Dr. Nixon harvested the veins for the heart, and a very faint suture line on his chest gives evidence that surgery did occur. “I am not a member of the Zipper Club,” Jim said.

Jim made a gift to the St. Mary Medical Center Foundation as a gesture of his gratitude for the outstanding quality care he received. He hopes that his story inspires other to support St. Mary Medical Center. “My story is an example of the expertise at St. Mary and the importance of having it available to all of us right here in Bucks County.