A heart in good hands: Expert care, right here at Riverside

When Steven Piekarczyk began feeling short of breath in 2024, he thought he might be experiencing the onset of asthma. He certainly didn’t suspect a heart problem. Then his symptoms took a turn for the worse. 

“My chest just kind of clamped down, and I wasn’t sure what was going on,” says Piekarczyk, 62. “People say a heart attack is the worst pain you ever had in your life. Well, it wasn’t like that. It was just a constant restricted feeling.” 

His brother took him to Riverside Healthcare’s emergency department, where doctors found the problem: Piekarczyk had several blocked coronary arteries. To restore blood flow to his heart, cardiothoracic surgeon Philip Alexander, MD, performed quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery. 

“When Dr. Alexander walks into A heart in good hands Expert care, right here at Riverside a room, he has a commanding presence. He’s 100% business, and you feel that he’s the best of the best,” Piekarczyk says. “I wasn’t nervous at all. I thought, if anyone could save me, it’s this guy.” 

The road back to health 

Piekarczyk’s surgery was successful. But a few days later, he went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated. To reduce his future risk of cardiac arrest, his heart team implanted a combined pacemaker and ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) under his skin. The device helps regulate his heartbeat and, if it senses a life-threatening abnormal heartbeat, it delivers a shock to correct the problem. 

Piekarczyk’s recovery from his heart attack and open-heart surgery included inpatient rehabilitation, followed by home-based rehab guided by his Riverside team. He then enrolled in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation, a tailored program of exercise and heart-health education. 

Lucas Kime is an exercise physiologist who worked with Piekarczyk at Riverside’s Bourbonnais Campus. 

“I would say 99% of cardiac rehab participants just want to get back to their normal,” Kime says. “That’s where we fit in.” 

Help at every step 

Cardiac rehab gives people the confidence and competence to safely resume a physically active lifestyle after a major heart event, Kime says. Participants exercise on a variety of equipment, such as treadmills and stationary bikes, to gradually rebuild strength and endurance. 

“Steven was weaker than he wanted to be when he came in,” Kime says.

“But he gave it his all every single session. He was dripping in sweat and always wanting to do more.” 

Cardiac rehab participants also learn to make heart-healthy lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of future heart problems, like heart attacks. 

“Studies show that people who complete the program statistically have a significantly higher advantage of not having a repeat event,” says Tyler Boudreau, exercise physiologist and supervisor of cardiopulmonary rehab at Riverside. 

Cardiac rehab is typically offered three times a week for 36 sessions. Additional sessions are available through a private-pay option. 

The exercise training is medically supervised. 

“That took away any apprehension I had about really putting effort into it,” Piekarczyk says. “They monitor your heart rate, and if it gets too high or they think you’re working too hard, they’ll come by and say, ‘Hey, knock it down a little bit.’” 

“It’s a very guided program,” Boudreau adds. “Medical professionals are here to help you at every step.” 

A life unlimited 

Piekarczyk hoped cardiac rehab would improve his fitness enough to resume activities like cutting firewood, gardening and playing golf—and it has. In fact, he says, he’s in better shape than he was before his heart attack. He has also returned to his job as a railroad conductor. 

Piekarczyk is grateful for all the cardiac care he received close to home at Riverside Healthcare, from his open-heart surgery to cardiac rehab. 

“Their heart program and everything associated with it was top of the line,” he says. “I wanted my life back, and they gave me my life back.”

Take charge of your heart health 

Specialty cardiac care and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation are available in Bourbonnais, Kankakee and Watseka. Find out how we can help you at myrhc.net/heart.