Heart Health — Vance's Story

"I thought it was heartburn," says Vance, 53, of the chest pain he experienced one afternoon. But within minutes Vance knew—he was having a heart attack.

"Vance had total blockage in the largest artery of his heart… the most serious kind of heart attack you can have," says John W. Nemanich, MD, FACC and Medical Director of Interventional Cardiology at VMC.

Quick response saved his life. Vance's blockage was removed just 39 minutes from the time he came through our door.

Five days later he was released from the hospital with a new outlook. “I get the fact that I got a second chance,” he said. Now that he's completed his cardiac rehab program, Vance is training for the Seattle-to-Portland bike ride.

Learn more about Valley Medical Center's nationally recognized cardiac care