What's New
- What's New
- 5/10/12 - Beam Signing Held at HaysMed Bickle Family Tower
- 5/9/12 - HaysMed Breast Center Receives KOMEN Grant
- 5/3/12 - Bully Prevention Summer Camp
- 5/1/12 - Sr. Health and Fitness Day Scheduled May 30
- 4/30/12 - Dr. Vic Eddy Outpatient Surgical Unit Dedicated at HaysMed
- 4/26/12 - HaysMed Launches ONE CALL
- 4/24/12 - Cancer Transitions Program Begins May 3
- 4/16/12 - Adventure Zone Summer Camp for Kids
- 4/15/12 - Hays Events Prescribe Healthy Habits
- 4/11/12 Hays Medical Center Foundation Announces Board Changes
- 4/10/12 - HaysMed Event Promotes Healthy Living
- 4/3/12 - Free Chronic Disease Management Program Begins May 3
- 3/26/12 - Nutrition Bootcamp Scheduled
- 3/26/12 - Breast Cancer Survivors Program
- 3/23/12 - New Lift System at HaysMed
- 3/20/12 - 10K Walk/Run Scheduled April 28
- 3/18/12 - HaysMed Provides Services to Western Kansas
- 3/15/12 - Family Adventure to Health
- 2/14/12 - Bootcamp "Crazy" for Participants
- 2/6/12 - CHI Celebrates 10th Anniversary
- 2/6/12 - Events Highlight CHI Celebration
- 2/6/12 - HaysMed Prescribing Exercise Along With Medicine
- 2/3/12 - HaysMed Associate Honored as Most Valuable Citizen
- 2/2/12 - National Fitness Expert Conducts Crazy Combo Exercise Bootcamp Feb 13
- 2/2/12 - Public CPR Training Feb 25
- 2/2/12 - KDOT Crews Play Role in Saving Heart Attack Victim
- 2/2/12 - HaysMed Foundation Receives $35,000
- 2/1/12 Hays Medical Center Foundation Announces Scholarship
- 2/1/12 HaysMed Verified as Level III Trauma Center
- 1/30/12 - National Speaker Joe Piscatella to Present at HaysMed
- 1/27/12 HaysMed Working for Health Options
- 1/24/12 - Community Health Needs Assessment
- 1/18/12 - HaysMed Capital Campaign Receives Donation
- 1/6/12 - Kickstart Begins
- 1/5/12 - New Year's Baby at HaysMed
- 1/5/12 - RN Receives HaysMed's First Daisy Award
- 12/2/11 - Weight Loss Program Makes Change
- 12/1/11 HaysMed's Center for Improvement Launches Kickstart
- 11/11/11 - Ellis woman enjoying life after medical 'miracle' at HaysMed
- 10/13/11 - HaysMed Discusses HIE with KHIN
- 9/22/11 - Groundbreaking Set for Larned Hospital
- 9/19/11 - The Center Receives National Accreditation
- 9/9/11 - HaysMed Plans $18.5 Million Expansion
- 9/9/1 - HaysMed Foundation Announces Campaign
- 9/7/11 Drive Thru Flu
- 8/28/11 Mud Mania
- 8/25/11 Mud Run HDN
- 8/22/11 New Nephrologist
- 8/8/11 Chronic Disease Program
- 7/26/11 STRIDE Half Marathon
- 7/20/11 Wound and Hyperbaric
- 7/18/11 Mud Run
- 7/17/11 CHI 10K Run Walk
- 5/4/11 Senior Health and Fitness
- 5/1/11 Senior Focused Care
KDOT Crew Plays Role in Saving Heart Attack Victim
KDOT snow crews play key role in saving heart attack patient
Published on -2/2/2012
Special to The Hays Daily News
A Scott County man who suffered a heart attack during the Dec. 19 to 20 blizzard might not be alive today if not for the heroics of Kansas Department of Transportation snow crews.
When Chad Griffith, 44, a farmer, rancher and father of four, had a heart attack at 9:45 p.m. Dec. 19, he needed to get to the closest hospital that could perform life-saving surgery as quickly as possible. But that was Hays Medical Center, 120 miles away, and air ambulances were grounded. As the blizzard worsened and 12 to 15 inches of snow piled up, a number of state roads were being closed, limiting travel options. That's when workers at Scott County Ambulance called KDOT for help.
Area Superintendent Jerry Glassman at KDOT's Oakley office took the call and immediately began coordinating with other superintendents to arrange for KDOT snowplows to clear the way and lead the ambulance to Hays. Four different snow plows shared the escort duty as the ambulance traveled from one KDOT area to the next. Five-and-a-half hours after it began the journey, the ambulance reached the hospital. Within minutes, Griffith was in surgery.
Griffith, who had been Christmas shopping in Garden City with his wife earlier in the day, had "a 99-percent blockage in the artery of the heart, (a condition) commonly known as the 'widow maker.' His only chance at survival was getting to a larger facility with cardiologists," Griffith's physician, Dr. Elizabeth Hineman, wrote in a message to KDOT.
"Because of you, he made it, as did my staff, and I will forever be grateful for the service you provided."
Doctors at the Hays hospital performed a heart catheterization on Griffith and inserted a stent. He was home several days before Christmas and now is back tending to his cattle.
"I think a lot of times we take those guys for granted. They went above and beyond because that blizzard was just raging," Griffith said. "The doctors, the EMTs and the KDOT guys are just giant people to me. They all played a role in saving my life.