St. John's 20th annual King & Queen of Hearts Celebration

The 20^th annual King and Queen of Hearts celebration was held at Hammons Heart Institute Feb. 2. This event recognizes individuals who have made substantial and inspiring life changes to avoid additional heart problems. Below are select nominees' stories of their journeys to become heart-healthy.

Elane Clark
Queen of Hearts nominee Elane Clark of Springfield developed chest discomfort in March 2009. A stress test revealed she had coronary artery disease requiring three stents. Elane started cardiac rehab at the St. John's West Kearney Clinic in Springfield in June. Since joining rehab, Elane has lost 13 pounds and has decreased her BMI. She has significantly improved her cholesterol levels, decreasing her total cholesterol by more than 50 points, despite being unable to take statins.

Previously requiring a motorized cart when shopping in large stores, Elane gained enough strength with her regular exercise that she is now able to walk around when shopping. While in rehab, she learned to recognize symptoms of stress in herself and healthier ways of managing stress. Elane has worked very hard to change her diet and begin regular exercise and is faithful in attending rehab.

Jacquelyn Dennison
During the summer of 2009, nominee Jackie Dennison of Springfield began having chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue and a lack of energy. Tests revealed a blockage in a coronary artery and in October she had an angioplasty and stent placement. Following her hospital discharge she joined the Cardiac Rehab program at Hammons Heart Institute in Springfield. Since then, she has seen improvement in her blood pressure and has been able to cut her blood pressure medication in half. She is staying away from fried foods, salt, and sugar and has seen significant improvements in her cholesterol levels.

She has lost 20 pounds and decreased her body fat. Since retiring ten years ago, Jackie feels a significant decrease in her stress levels and now has a great group of church friends to support her healthy lifestyle changes. Despite painful rheumatoid arthritis and the fact that she really doesn't enjoy exercise, Jackie now realizes she needs to do it and faithfully attends rehab. Jackie always has a smile on her face and is an encouragement to those around her.

Karen Scott
Nominee Karen Scott of Nixa was scheduled to have minor surgery in April of 2009. A pre-operative ECG showed abnormalities and even though a subsequent stress test was negative, Karen was eventually diagnosed with heart disease and underwent a three-vessel coronary artery bypass surgery in July.

After her recovery, Karen joined the Cardiac Rehab program at St. John's Clinic-Nixa While in rehab, she significantly altered her eating habits by decreasing the fried foods in her diet and eating out less often. She exchanged her old habit of consuming a 12-pack of regular Coke daily for one or two Diet Cokes a day and now makes healthier recipe substitutions when cooking.

Karen checks online nutrition facts for restaurants she will be visiting so she knows the healthier options available. She has lost 22 pounds and decreased her body fat by seven points. Previously not a consistent exerciser, Karen now exercises at least three days a week for 60 minutes, pushing herself to do just a little more each time.

Bettie Rose
Nominee Bettie Rose of Cassville was driving home from St. John's Hospital-Cassville Cardiac Rehab in May 2009 with her husband, when she developed chest pain herself. A trip to the hospital resulted in a stent being placed in one of her coronary arteries. Despite several very serious complications and subsequent surgeries, Bettie recovered and in July 2009 began cardiac rehab, this time as the patient rather than the support person. 

Since then, Bettie's blood pressure and cholesterol levels have been stable on medication and her weight has been good. She is a very active person who enjoys walking outdoors, but also uses a treadmill when the weather is bad. Bettie remains very active with her family and church, which has had both positive and negative effects on her health. With education from the rehab staff, Bettie has learned how to pace herself with these activities and the importance of resting when she begins to tire. With her husband's history of heart disease, Bettie already had some heart-healthy habits in place when she developed heart disease herself and that paid off in a big way when she faced such a challenging recovery.  

Thomas E. Rauch
In August 2009, King of Hearts nominee Tom went to St. John's Hospital-Aurora with what he thought was indigestion. Unfortunately, it was much more serious. Tom was having a heart attack. He required 12 defibrillations to restart his heart and once stabilized, was airlifted to Springfield where only 13 minutes later, a stent was placed in his main coronary artery.

Following his recovery, Tom joined the St. John's Hospital-Aurora's Cardiac Rehab program. Only a few months before, Tom had successfully quit smoking after 50 years. His elevated cholesterol levels had been treated for several years, but Tom was further able to decrease the amount of saturated fat in his diet. He has lost 10 pounds since his heart attack and is six pounds away from his goal weight. Tom no longer skips meals or eats at fast food restaurants. He attends rehab faithfully and although he has always been active, he now sets aside specific times for exercise. Following his near-death experience, Tom has a new appreciation for life. He is diligent in managing his cardiac risk factors and works hard to stay healthy.

Allen Nutter of Lebanon (pictured right) was crowned King of Hearts.

About St. John's Cardipulmonary Rehabilitation Program
St. John's Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation began in 1981 under the direction of John Bentley, M.D., who helped start the cardiac rehab program at the YMCA for St. John's patients.  In 1986, after a generous donation by Springfield philanthropist John Q. Hammons, St. John's Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation moved to its current location at Hammons Heart Institute on the St. John's campus.

During the early 1990s, St. John's Hammons Heart staff wrote the first standards of care for cardiac and pulmonary rehab patients for the state of Missouri. These were later used to develop national standards.

In 2004, St. John's Women's Heart Center opened at the heart institute. The center educates Ozarks women about heart health with a focus on prevention.

St. John's operates nine outpatient cardiac rehabilitation locations throughout southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas. Many of the programs are certified through the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

Cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation staff includes registered nurses, exercise physiologists, respiratory therapists, registered dietitians, physical therapists and psychologists. Many of the staff are certified as exercise specialists through the American College of Sports Medicine, or as Certified Diabetes Educators through the American Diabetes Association.