Todd Jourgensen and his wife, Terri

Todd Jourgensen felt good. His annual check-up turned up nothing concerning. His blood work was fine. His cholesterol was good. His blood pressure, long controlled by medication, was normal.

But he had a special heart scan at Memorial Regional Healthy anyway. Why? Because as MRH Facilities Director, he received word that the Cardiovascular Services staff was looking for help finetuning the process for their new cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) scan.

The department needed a few volunteers for the five-minute, noninvasive test. Staff wanted to make sure all the devices were communicating properly and images were being transferred as needed to cardiologist Dr. Frank Laws, who practices at Valley View Heart & Vascular Center in Glenwood Springs and travels to MRH one day a month to see patients in Craig. So, thinking nothing of it, Jourgensen had the scan.

What Is a CTA?

CTAs are a type of CT scan that detects plaque buildup in the arteries inside your heart. They’re generally ordered for patients who have low to intermediate chest pain or are at risk for coronary artery disease.

Jourgensen’s CTA showed that one coronary artery was 99% blocked and two others were mostly blocked.

“The condition my coronary arteries were in is called ‘the widowmaker’ because it’s the kind of heart disease that tends to cause a sudden and fatal heart attack,” he said. “I was shocked. I had zero symptoms. But mostly I was grateful because getting that scan done was a blessing.”

Stents and Recovery

On February 1, 2023, Jourgensen underwent balloon angioplasty in Glenwood Springs. An interventional cardiologist inserted a catheter into a blood vessel in his groin and threaded it up to his heart. He inflated a small balloon at the tip of the catheter to open the blocked coronary arteries. He also inserted three stents.

Coronary stents are tiny coils of wire mesh. They are placed in areas newly opened by the balloon to help keep the vessel clear.

Jourgensen stayed at the hospital one night and then was discharged. He was able to return to work in a couple of days and resume most normal activity right away. He attended cardiac rehab sessions to make sure he could exercise safely on his own. In addition to walking 10,000 to 15,000 steps a day, he continues to see Dr. Laws every three or four months to ensure everything’s going well.

A Summer of Fun

Jourgensen, 59, has lived in Craig since 1994. His wife, Terri, is a Craig native, and the couple raised two children here—Trey and Maddy. Maddy got married last fall, and Trey and his wife are parents to the Jourgensens’ first grandchild, Luke, who’s almost a year old.

Jourgensen is thrilled to be here to enjoy his family. He also likes camping, four-wheeling and travel. He and Terri like to visit Texas and warmer parts of the country to play golf. In a few weeks the entire family will be staying at Hilton Head to celebrate Jourgensen’s 60th birthday.

“It’s fantastic that we have a cardiac program in Craig,” he said. “It’s another great service that not a lot of small hospitals have. I feel really lucky we have MRH here, doing the things they do. The care here—I’m telling you right now—it’s top-notch.”