northbay.org 9 was rushed to NorthBay Health’s Level II Trauma Center emergency room, where a care team quickly determined she needed a pacemaker. The next morning, while recovering in her hospital bed, Hite had a heart attack, prompting an urgent trip to the catheterization lab. Cardiologist Mark Villalon, MD, discovered a life-threatening blockage and placed a stent to restore proper blood flow. Hite recovered and was soon back to her active lifestyle. But several months later, after returning from a long family road trip, she felt an unusual wave of exhaustion. “I got out of the shower, and I was so tired I couldn’t even towel myself off,” she recalls. An ambulance brought her back to NorthBay Health, where Dr. Villalon placed two additional stents to address new blockages. Today, Hite is once again doing what she loves. She hikes local trails, travels with her husband, goes rafting with her children and grandchildren, and enjoys rounds of golf with friends. It is a lifestyle she doesn’t take for granted. Inspired to give That deep appreciation made Hite want to give back in an even more meaningful way. She recently made a generous $300,000 donation to help launch NorthBay Health’s new heart and vascular program. Hite’s gift will expand access to advanced cardiac care across the region, offering more patients the same expert treatment she believes saved her life. “NorthBay Health is worth the donation, and I’ve now been a patient to prove it,” says Hite, now 70 and a member of the NorthBay Health Group Board of Directors. “I can’t imagine being a number at some corporate hospital.” Charitable contributions are essential to NorthBay Health’s growth in the region. With a vision to provide urgent and primary care within 15 minutes of every resident’s home and specialty care within 30 minutes, donor support fuels access to lifesaving services. Expanding heart care across the region As of July 7, patients now have access to the Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehab (ICR) program, the only one of its kind in the Bay Area. How ICR works ICR offers a more personalized and holistic approach to recovery than typical physical rehabilitation programs. ICR is a 12-week program that features expert-led workshops, educational videos and interactive cooking demonstrations, all focused on helping patients make meaningful, lasting lifestyle changes. Participants receive guidance on meal planning, healthy cooking, stress management and physical activity with support from a multidisciplinary team that includes cardiac rehab specialists, registered dietitians and nutritionists. Patients managing heart issues may qualify. Interested? See if this program is right for you. For more information, call 707-646-1905.
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