St. Dominic Health and Abiomed Celebrate Heart Recovery Heroes at 3rd Annual Reunion

August 28, 2025

JACKSON, Miss. – St. Dominic Health, in partnership with Abiomed, Inc., proudly hosted the 3rd Annual Heart Recovery Reunion—a heartfelt celebration honoring patients whose lives were saved through advanced cardiac care and the innovative Impella® heart pump technology. 

The Impella® heart device is a temporary, catheter-based ventricular assist device (VAD) that helps pump blood when the heart's own pumping ability is weakened. It's used in patients experiencing cardiogenic shock, heart failure, or during high-risk heart procedures. The Impella® works by assisting the left ventricle in pumping blood to the rest of the body, acting as a bridge to recovery, heart transplant, or long-term support devices. 

With the first use in 2017, St. Dominic Health has seen significant growth in the number of patients benefitting from this technology, with more than 120 patients in the last three years alone. St. Dominic Hospital has seen 80% cardiogenic shock survival two years in a row.  That is greater than 30% improvement over the national average.  

"At St. Dominic Health, we are deeply honored to celebrate the incredible journeys of our heart recovery heroes. These stories reflect the power of innovation, teamwork, and compassionate care. Thanks to the advanced tools and expertise available to our clinical teams, we’re not just saving lives—we’re restoring hope and helping families stay whole," said John DeSantis, Chief Operating Officer, St. Dominic Health

Below are the powerful stories of several St. Dominic’s patients who have experienced the life-saving benefits of this device. 

Bobby Young

Bobby Young, 56, from Richland, MS, is a husband, father, and community leader who was campaigning for Alderman when he experienced persistent indigestion and arm tingling while golfing, which he initially dismissed. 

After extreme fatigue and worsening symptoms, he went to St. Dominic’s ER, where he collapsed upon arrival. 

Diagnosed with a heart attack and triple vessel disease, he later went into cardiogenic shock and was revived after coding.

On May 2, Dr. Catherine Lowe implanted the Impella® CP heart pump to stabilize him before surgery. 

After recovering from pneumonia and infection, Dr. John Calhoun performed bypass surgery on June 16. 

Today, Bobby is feeling much better, grateful for the care that saved his life. He’s proud to witness his daughter graduate as a physician’s assistant and his son train as an anesthesiologist. 

Wayne Bailey

Wayne Bailey is a father, grandfather, and a very active retiree who loves playing golf and tennis.    

On October 16, 2022, he was living the retired life well when he suddenly started to feel woozy while playing tennis.  He went to the bench for a quick rest and then collapsed.   

Thankfully, a doctor, who was playing on the court next to Wayne, saw him go down and rushed over to administer CPR until the paramedics arrived.   

Wayne was rushed to St. Dominic Hospital, where the medical team worked to stabilize him and run more tests.    

They found that he had an ejection fraction of only 20% (normal range is 55% or greater) with 2 fully blocked arteries and another that was 90% blocked. Two days later, Dr. William Crowder placed the Impella® 5.5 to support Wayne’s heart while he performed a triple coronary artery bypass graft surgery to clear the blockage and restore his heart. Two days after, heart function had improved and the Impella® was successfully weaned and explanted.

Three weeks later, Wayne returned home. He's back to playing his favorite sports, singing, and playing guitar, and spending time with his children, grandchildren. He has also kindly shared his musical talents at the last two Heart Recovery Reunions! 

Dorris Russell

Dorris Russell, 60, from Lexington, MS, is a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He began experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath in late 2024, followed by chest pains he initially dismissed. 

In January 2025, his symptoms worsened significantly while at work. 

After a long wait at a local ER, he and his wife drove to St. Dominic, where he had prior heart care and was then diagnosed with severe multivessel coronary artery disease and reduced heart function (Ejection Fraction ~20%). 

On February 3, Dorris underwent coronary artery bypass surgery and received an Impella® 5.5 heart pump. 

After four days, his heart recovered enough to remove the pump. 

Today, his heart is functioning normally (Ejection Fraction 55%), and he’s enjoying retired life with family, DIY projects, and car rides with his wife. 

Ricky Polk

Ricky Polk, 63, a father and grandfather, experienced chest pain, shortness of breath, and vomiting while doing yard work. 

He drove himself to the local ER, where an EKG confirmed a heart attack. He was then transferred by ambulance to St. Dominic Hospital for advanced cardiac care. 

Diagnosed with triple coronary artery disease and a damaged aortic valve. 

On July 2, 2025, Dr. David Theodoro performed bypass surgery and valve replacement, supported by the Impella® 5.5 heart pump. 

After six days, the pump was removed, and Ricky was discharged with native heart recovery. 

His ejection fraction improved from 15–20% to over 45%. 

Today, Ricky is feeling great, back to fishing, family time, and drag racing his 1994 Mustang. 

He’s deeply grateful to the St. Dominic Health team for their compassionate care.