Clinch Valley Health Team Helps Tazewell Resident Transform His Life

Just a few months ago, you wouldn’t have seen Tazewell resident Jimmie McGuire making exercise a daily priority. After suffering a type of heart attack commonly referred to as a “widow-maker” in October 2022, Jimmie has relied on Clinch Valley Health’s Cardiac Rehabilitation team and Registered Dietician Sally Presnell to help him take charge of his health. 

Jimmie’s heart attack was a surprise. He wasn’t experiencing the classic symptoms often seen in the movies where the character is walking along when, suddenly, they grab their chest wincing with pain. Jimmie was experiencing stomach pains and nausea. The nausea persisted and Jimmy’s wife insisted he go to the emergency room. The emergency room visit confirmed he required a higher level of care. After having two stents placed, Jimmie’s primary care provider Nona Crouse, FNP-C referred him to Clinch Valley Health’s Cardiac Rehabilitation program. Despite Jimmie’s busy life filled with family and his career as a quality control engineer for the Volvo Truck Plant in Dublin, he agreed to commit to the program.

Immediately after starting the program, Jimmy saw the value of participating in cardiac rehabilitation, sharing: “I didn’t exercise before my heart attack, but I gave cardiac rehab a try and I loved it. It’s helped me tremendously.”

Participating in cardiac rehabilitation led Jimmy to discover that it had many more benefits to him than he could have imagined. “Working with Lisa Riddle inspired me to exercise outside of cardiac rehab sessions. I joined a local gym and I go there on my days off.”

Clinch Valley Health’s Cardiopulmonary Director Barry Coleman says, “We all know that lifestyle habits can be hard to break, but attending classes with other individuals, with the same health issues as you, makes it easier to attain your goal of a healthier you. It’s so rewarding when I see cardiac rehab participants reach their goals and are now leading a healthier lifestyle- that is priceless.”

Clinch Valley’s medically-supervised cardiac rehab program works to improve heart health for the long run.  Patients who complete the cardiac rehab program often have a lower risk of hospital readmission, heart attack and even death.  Trained cardiac rehab nurses help identify each patient’s individual goals and then establish an exercise prescription, based on periodic testing, to guide physical activity.  Cardiac rehab is often recommended for patients who have recently had stenting, valve replacement, coronary artery bypass, myocardial infarction (or heart attack), congestive heart failure, and more.  The program also serves individuals experiencing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, fibrosis, black lung disease, lung transplants and other respiratory diagnoses.

While he was hospitalized with his heart attack, Jimmie was also diagnosed with diabetes.  That diagnosis led him to Registered Dietician Sally Presnell with Clinch Valley Health's Diabetes Education Center. Sally has helped Jimmie manage his blood sugar by teaching him how to read food labels, make healthier food choices and be mindful of his nutritional needs. 

Thanks in part to Clinch Valley’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, at 70 days post heart attack and only seven days back to work, Jimmie is meeting his step count target of 10,000 steps per day.  He is down 40 pounds and can walk four and a half miles without stopping.  Jimmie said, “I couldn’t have met these goals without the help of the cardiac rehab team’s Lisa Riddle and my dietician Sally Presnell. I still have a while to go to be where I want to be, but with the Lord’s help, I am on my way.”

Jimmie, like so many patients, rely on Clinch Valley Health for quality care close to home. Clinch Valley’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program requires a provider referral and is a twelve-week outpatient program that includes patient education, nutritional counseling, and progressive exercise. Clinch Valley’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is aimed at reducing patients’ risk factors for heart disease and nurturing long-term lifestyle changes through personalized exercise programs, all in a supportive, motivational, and welcoming environment.

For more information on Cardiac Rehabilitation services at Clinch Valley Health, visit https://www.clinchvalleyhealth.com/heart-and-vascular/cardiac-rehabilitation  

For more information on Clinch Valley Health's Diabetes Education Center, visit https://www.clinchvalleyhealth.com/diabetes-education-center