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BayCare Delivers Life-Saving Care to 97-Year-Old Veteran
July 22, 2024
Eighty years ago, Bill King was a teenager, drafted to serve his country in the waning days of World War II. When Japan surrendered, he served in Okinawa, a quartermaster in the occupation army, working at the pier where General Douglas MacArthur frequently ate lunch.
After he returned to the United States, the next eight decades passed largely without serious health issues. Then, in the fall of 2023, King arrived at Morton Plant Hospital’s emergency room experiencing rapid atrial fibrillation (AFib) and heart failure. He was 96.
Next came intubation and a stay in the intensive care unit. King recovered and went home, only to return about a month later experiencing another AFib episode with additional complications that required another hospitalization.
“Mr. King was an extremely sick man when I first met him,” said BayCare Medical Group Cardiologist Cameron Kemal, M.D, a provider in BayCare’s Heart and Vascular Institute. But the doctor also saw something else: “Mr. King is an amazing man. For a 97-year-old, he is in great health overall. He is mentally sharp and physically active. I knew we could help him continue to enjoy his life,” Dr. Kemal said.
Dr. Kemal prescribed a pacemaker and specific follow-up care with Morton Plant Hospital’s Heart Function Clinic.
It was at the clinic where King and his daughter, Anne Scofield, met Mary Curtis, APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse). “She met with us to discuss my father’s treatment options and gave us her number to call if we had questions,” Scofield said. “She was so helpful.”
Curtis works with patients experiencing heart failure and their families to ensure patients are receiving the care and resources they need to have the best possible quality of life. She helps ensure patients get the appropriate medical tests, understand the crucial role of nutrition, know how to take and track their vital signs and receive any needed care.
“Heart failure is the leading cause of hospital admission and readmission,” Curtis said. “My job is to educate our patients on the disease process and how medication, diet and exercise can help them continue enjoying their lives. I ensure they have a follow-up appointment with their cardiologist and let them know they can call me with questions.”
The pacemaker and follow-up care at the Morton Plant Hospital Heart Function Clinic have made a significant difference for King. He has not been readmitted to the hospital, which gave him time to celebrate turning 97 at a surprise party hosted by Scofield. More than 100 people, including other WW II veterans and local officials, attended what King called his “best birthday ever.”
“I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Kemal, Mary (Curtis) and everyone I encountered at Morton Plant Hospital. I know I received the best care possible,” King said.
Curtis attended the party to celebrate this extraordinary man who with the help of the dedicated Morton Plant Hospital medical team now has plans to celebrate many more birthdays.
BayCare’s St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Anthony’s Hospital and Winter Haven Hospital also have Heart Function Clinics. Learn more about BayCare’s services for patients with heart failure.
“Heart failure is the leading cause of hospital admission and readmission,” Curtis said. “My job is to educate our patients on the disease process and how medication, diet and exercise can help them continue enjoying their lives. I ensure they have a follow-up appointment with their cardiologist and let them know they can call me with questions.”
The pacemaker and follow-up care at the Morton Plant Hospital Heart Function Clinic have made a significant difference for King. He has not been readmitted to the hospital, which gave him time to celebrate turning 97 at a surprise party hosted by Scofield. More than 100 people, including other WW II veterans and local officials, attended what King called his “best birthday ever.”
“I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Kemal, Mary (Curtis) and everyone I encountered at Morton Plant Hospital. I know I received the best care possible,” King said.
Curtis attended the party to celebrate this extraordinary man who with the help of the dedicated Morton Plant Hospital medical team now has plans to celebrate many more birthdays.
BayCare’s St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Anthony’s Hospital and Winter Haven Hospital also have Heart Function Clinics. Learn more about BayCare’s services for patients with heart failure.
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