Case Study: A life saved

First in an occasional series of patient care case studies from Cape Cod Healthcare facilities.

Lying on a Cape Cod Hospital cath lab table in the middle of a heart attack did not make Peter Van Stratum, 65, nervous or anxious.

“It was peaceful, amazingly enough,” the Truro resident said. “I’ve lived a good long life. I wished good luck to the people working on me. You’d think you’d be panicky, but I wasn’t.”

His son was worried, but, Van Stratum said, “I told him not to worry. I’m in the right place.”

Thanks to Richard Zelman, M.D., F.A.C.C., Medical Director of Interventional Cardiology, and his CCH cath lab team, Van Stratum was right.

Van Stratum had his heart attack on the 3rd hole at Highland Links Golf Course in Truro last year. (“I still made par.”) Truro Paramedic Alan Felton, who happened to be golfing on the next hole, recognized the heart attack symptoms. “It felt like someone was standing on my chest,” Van Stratum said. He was whisked back to the clubhouse in a golf cart and placed in an ambulance for CCH.

“It took 32 minutes to get from the golf course to Cape Cod Hospital,” he said. “The team with Dr. Zelman was waiting at the door. They were impressive. Dr. Zelman was watching reports coming from the ambulance. I got to the back door – everything was perfect. Everyone knew exactly what they were doing. I felt like all hell was poppin’. But they were all completely in control.”

His coronary artery was repaired and Van Stratum was admitted. His subsequent stay in the hospital also exceeded expectations. “The ICU is spectacular, with super-talented people. There is nothing marginal about that hospital. Everyone and everything was remarkable.”

As with many heart attack victims, the event transformed his life. “I have a better attitude toward everything. Literally, every day is an extra one, why not enjoy it? I exercise every day. I feel better than I’ve felt in decades. Dr. Zelman and his team literally saved my life at Cape Cod Hospital.”

Cape Cod Healthcare (capecodhealth.org) is the Cape’s leading health care services provider. With more than 400 physicians and 4,600 employees, Cape Cod Healthcare has two acute care hospitals – Cape Cod Hospital and Falmouth Hospital – the largest Cape Cod home health services agency (VN A), skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities, an assisted living facility and many health programs.


Published in Cape & Plymouth Business January 2012