From classroom to cardiac care
Sometimes, being in the right place at the right time can save your life. For Ernest Alan “Ernie” Rodriguez, 57, a teacher at Tuscany Heights Elementary School, it also meant being taken to the right hospital.
In May 2024, just days before the end of the school year, Ernie began feeling extremely tired while at work. He knelt down to rest and suddenly lost consciousness. A student found him and alerted the school principal, who directed the school nurse to call for an ambulance. Ernie was having a heart attack.
“They told me my skin was a bluish-gray color,” Ernie said. “The nurse used the defibrillator on me three times before the ambulance arrived. She told the principal she didn’t think I was going to make it.”
When emergency responders arrived, the defibrillator was used two more times as Ernie was transported to Methodist Hospital Stone Oak, where physicians quickly took him to the cardiac catheterization lab and inserted a stent to restore blood flow to his heart. He spent three days in the hospital and made a full recovery over the next six months.
Coincidentally, Ashley Peterson, Cath Lab Director at Methodist Hospital Stone Oak, received a call from her daughter, one of Ernie’s students, who told her about the incident.
“He was incredibly lucky that this happened at school where a nurse could begin CPR immediately,” Ashley said. “But it was just as important that he was brought to a hospital equipped to deliver rapid, advanced cardiac care.”
Ernie agrees. “I was in the right place at the right time, and I was taken to the right hospital. Everything moved fast, and I truly believe that saved my life.”
February is American Heart Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, someone in the U.S. suffers a heart attack every 40 seconds.
Methodist Hospital Stone Oak offers a comprehensive cardiovascular program and has been accredited by the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, which recognizes the hospital’s excellence in diagnosing and treating a diverse range of cardiovascular conditions.
Ernie, who has a family history of heart disease, now encourages others to take symptoms seriously and seek care immediately.
“Listen to your body,” Ashley added. “If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness, don’t wait - seek emergency care.”
For more information about cardiology services at Methodist Hospital Stone Oak.