Shortly after his 50th birthday, Brian
Starr contracted a virus that would
change his life forever. "I ended up
with a virus in my heart, and had an
autoimmune response to it," says
Brian. "Basically, my immune system
attempted to reject my own heart."
Brian's heart was severely damaged
and unable to support his active
lifestyle. This made physical
activities Brian enjoyed, like golfing
and biking, increasingly difficult.
Comprehensive Care,
Close to Home
Fortunately for Brian, he was already
working with the multifaceted care
team at Providence, enabling him to
receive world-class treatment for his
condition without traveling outside
of Spokane.
"The transplant program was started
30 years ago by Dr. Timothy Icenogle
with a goal of using leading-edge
technology and medicine to provide
the safest and best care as close to the
patient's home as possible," says
Andrew Coletti, M.D., program and
medical director. "Instead of getting
one cardiologist they get a multi-
disciplinary team to provide one of the
most comprehensive holistic medical
experiences that a person can get."
While the heart transplant program
at Providence is also renowned for
its expertise in mechanical
technology, Brian was not a
candidate for a mechanical device.
His only option was to wait for a
suitable donor heart.
Coming to Terms
With the Transplant
Even though Brian had faith in the
process and his caregivers, there was
a lot on his mind. "I was going
through the struggle of knowing that
someone else was going to end up
dying for me to get a heart," he says.
"And how do I feel about that?"
"The doctors, psychologist and my
wife helped me through that
process," adds Brian. "I began to
recognize there was a donor out
there and that situation was separate
from my needs. We talked through
the common things that transplant
patients work through on the mental
side of this experience."
"This is an environment where you
provide more personalized care,"
says Dr. Coletti. "Our team of
cardiologists, psychologists,
nutritionists, and nurses is able to
focus on what we each do best
because we have a division of labor
and expertise that enables us to
address all patient needs."
Based on Brian's body size and blood
type, he was told the average wait
time for a heart was 90 days.
Fortunately for Brian and his family,
that gift came in just two weeks.
A Family Approach
to Care
Brian jokes that his transplant team
was kind of like an entourage. "The
doc and assistant. The transplant
coordinator. The person doing
recording and the pharmacist. There
was an entire team in the room to
attend to me. It was quite a scene."
"What makes this program
unique is that it was built on the
premise that the transplant team
is really your adopted family," says
Dr. Coletti. "When you form a
covenant to put someone's heart
into another person's chest, that
is a medical marriage. This is a
covenant we take very seriously."
PROVIDENCE.ORG/HEARTBEAT 11
"When you form
a covenant to
put someone's
heart in another
person's chest,
that is a medical
marriage. This is a
covenant we take
very seriously."
Be a donor, save a life. Give
the ultimate gift of life by
registering to become an
organ donor. Visit Icnw.org
for more information.
