"Quality means: I get to have fun adventures with my grandchildren."

At age 5 months, Henley Kate doesn’t know about the adventures her grandfather, Steve Williams, has planned for their time together. “If she wants to hunt, I can teach her,” says Steve, who helps organize youth events that promote hunter education and safety. “If she wants to fish or golf, I can give her those lessons, too. I want to be an active grandfather.” Thanks to the fast and thorough response by the Emergency Team at Washington Regional, Steve will get to be that kind of grandfather.

When a recent case of flu became severe, Steve’s primary care physician sent him to the Washington Regional Emergency Department. “I knew the ER staff would treat my flu symptoms,” he says, “but I had no idea just how thorough my treatment there would be.” What Steve did not know, but the ER staff discovered during his exam, is that in addition to flu he had some potentially fatal heart conditions.

“Within a day, I had a pacemaker implanted,” Steve says. “Then the cardiology team found there was a hole in one of my heart valves, so the next week I had surgery to replace the diseased valve.”

Steve, who likes to be “on the go,” soon learned his way around the cardiology nursing unit. “They told me if I could get up and walk, I would go home sooner. So, as soon as I was able, I walked about eight miles a day on the third floor of the hospital. I got to know the staff up there pretty well. They answered every question I had.”

Although the heart diagnoses were a shock to Steve, he is grateful to have made a full recovery. “In addition to the ER staff, I credit Dr. Joel Carver and Dr. Russell Wood and all the cardiology nurses for getting me back home, back to work, and in better shape than I’ve ever been. My motivation was simple. I wanted to live to see my grandchildren and to have adventures with them.”