I serve as the Chief Medical Officer for HCA Healthcare’s Continental Division, including HCA HealthONE in Denver, but on May 30, 2025, I became a patient in the most critical sense.

Without warning, I suffered a “widowmaker” heart attack.

I was rushed to HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge, where an extraordinary team fought for my life. They performed nearly 20 minutes of high-quality CPR, followed by rapid, lifesaving interventions, including an emergency angioplasty and Impella insertion. I was later transferred to HCA HealthONE Swedish for consideration of ECMO therapy, the most advanced treatment for a patient like me.

After three days on a ventilator and seven days in the ICU, I walked out of the hospital and went home—with no neurological deficits. Today, my echocardiogram and EKG are normal.

I was healthy—until I suddenly wasn’t.

That experience changed everything. It reinforced, in the most personal way possible, how vital rapid, high-quality cardiac care is, and how much it depends on preparation, training, research, and community awareness.

That’s why the work of the American Heart Association matters so deeply. Their impact spans both the community and the clinical world—advancing care, educating the public, and ultimately saving lives.

Lives like mine.

Your support makes that possible.