An indoor camping adventure with his boys ends with pain shooting down then 39-year-old Brad Stover’s arms. His wife’s quick-thinking landed him in Alegent Health Midlands Hospital’s brand new Emergency Department – a major factor in saving Brad’s life.

“I woke up with pain in both my forearms,” remembers Brad. Since he didn’t have the classic symptom – crushing chest pain – he went back to bed. One hour later, he was in the Alegent Health Midlands Hospital ER, where the medical team took over.

“It wasn’t until they told us I was having a heart attack that it really sunk in it was a little more serious than we thought,” says Brad. It was a lot more serious.

“We did a quick angiogram of the heart,” recalls Dr. Scott Carollo, a cardiologist with Alegent Health Clinic Heart & Vascular Specialists who was on call that Sunday. “It looks at the arteries that bring blood flow to the heart. In a matter of minutes and a few pictures it was clear he had a very serious and complete blockage of a main artery on the front side of his heart.”

Dr. Carollo says this type of heart attack is often associated with death. Brad’s alive, in part, because he did a number of things right. He listened to what his body was telling him and he picked Midlands Hospital – one of five Alegent Health hospitals that carry the designation of certified chest pain centers.

“All of our campuses have systems in place to deal with patients who have suspicious symptoms that might be heart related,” says Dr. Carollo. As soon as they recognize a problem, they’re on the phone – bringing in a larger team to take action. “The quicker we get an artery open, the better people do,” says Dr. Carollo. “Here at Alegent Health, we succeed in getting the artery open well under 90 minutes.”

Brad Stover had his heart attack on January 17, 2010 – just 12 days shy of his 40th birthday. He was home two days later.

“From when I first got here until I left on Tuesday, the care I received was phenomenal,” says Brad. “I stand by the fact that a lot of other hospitals should rise up to the level of care I received here.”

But the care didn’t end in January. Brad spent another six weeks in cardiac rehabilitation. His goal is to now celebrate another 40-plus years with the two little boys who keep him going and to tell anyone who will listen about the great care he got at Midlands Hospital – the care that changed his life.

If you would like more information on heart attacks or to find a physician who is right for you call 1-800-alegent or go to www.alegent.com/doctors.  

I am glad that Brad is alive and doing well. I wish him many happy, healthy years with his family. I am a proud employee of Midlands Hospital.

Thank you Midlands and thank you Mary and jen for letting me tell my story.

Not only is it the right hospital, it is also the outstanding staff that Alegent Midlands has. You have to have competent staff who knows what decisions have to be made to render the best possible care with that fantastic state of the art equipment. All the Alegent ERs' have outstanding competent staff including the one I work at in Corning, Iowa. I have been to all Alegent facilities and know very well how great the staff, the state of the art equipment and the facilities are. They are the Best of the Best. I also am a proud employee of Alegent Health Mercy Hospital