On July 1, 2025, Parkview Logansport Hospital joined the Parkview Health family. Less than one month later, Fletcher Stevenson, CRNA, Parkview Logansport, witnessed firsthand what it means to deliver excellent care to every person, every day.
An urgent transfer
Fletcher was 49 years old when he experienced his first heart attack while living in West Virginia. At the time, he recovered well and returned to his normal, active lifestyle. About a year ago, Fletcher recalled experiencing minor chest pain. He had it checked, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. However, in the days leading up to his most recent cardiac event, it was clear that something more serious was occurring.
"I'd just been feeling very fatigued for about a week. That day, I came home and took a nap," Fletcher said. "When my wife got home from work, after a very short discussion about my symptoms, she made the decision that we'd go to the emergency room." Physicians at Parkview Logansport confirmed that he had experienced another minor heart attack.
At first, there were no changes in his electrocardiogram (EKG/ECG) readings, but as the night progressed into the early morning hours, his symptoms began to intensify. His chest pain was worsening. The decision was made to dispatch Samaritan 1 and fly Fletcher from Logansport to Parkview Regional Medical Center (PRMC) in Fort Wayne to the Cath Lab at the Parkview Heart Institute.
"The hardest part about the helicopter was leaving my wife," Fletcher admits tearfully. "I wasn't afraid of dying, but I did stop and think that there might be some things or some people that I wish I had shared my life with more."
When SAM 1 landed at PRMC, not a moment was wasted. The cardiology team had been anticipating Fletcher's arrival. They immediately sprang into action, taking Fletcher to the Cath Lab to remove the blockage and restore blood flow to his heart.
"They had been up all night taking care of people just like me. They greeted me, told me what their roles were, what they'd be doing, and introduced me to the cardiologist who would be working on me."
A few hours and a couple of stents later, Fletcher said he was feeling much better.
Patient, co-worker and mentor
Later that day, Fletcher was moved to a standard hospital room for routine monitoring and care. Among the numerous members of Fletcher's care team and new co-workers was Kenny Walker, RN, a nurse in the coronary procedural ICU. Fletcher fondly referred to Kenny as "placed by God" to care for him.
During his hospital stay, Fletcher was also diagnosed with diabetes. He admits this news was disheartening, but encouragement and guidance from a new friend offered reassurance.
"I actually am diabetic myself. I told him about the care of managing injection sites so that they didn't get inflamed," Kenny said.
Throughout discussions during his time at the Heart Institute, Fletcher and Kenny found they shared many more similarities in their worldviews and values. During one conversation about work and purpose, Fletcher asked Kenny about his career goals in nursing. When Kenny expressed an interest in anesthesia, Fletcher knew just the person to connect him with.
Not long after, Kenny enrolled in a student program through Parkview and spent time observing Fletcher in the operating room. "It has opened my eyes even more with shadowing Fletcher because I've seen how good he is in his role," Kenny shared. "I honestly came into the day not even thinking anything of it—just like another day—and I ended up meeting a lifelong friend. That actually turned out to be pretty cool."
Final thoughts
Fletcher is now a few months post-op and continues to receive follow-up care at Parkview Logansport. "I don't have to drive all the way to Fort Wayne when I need care. They knew my history; they knew what had happened to me. It just continued without any interruption."
Reflecting on the overall experience, Fletcher had this to say:
"I've been a nurse for 30 years. I've been an anesthetist for about 20. I worked at the Cleveland Clinic and many other fine healthcare institutions, and I know what good care looks like. And I just received the best possible care that could have been provided from the technical to the personal, to the spiritual. From when I was here in Logansport to when I went to Fort Wayne, it was clear that the people cared more than just about my healthcare. They cared about me as a person."
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Learn more about the services offered at the Parkview Heart Institute by visiting us here.
