Baptist Health Foundation recently welcomed Ryan Fitzgerald, MD, of Radiology Consultants as a new board member. Radiology Consultants provides imaging services for Baptist Health hospitals.
Fitzgerald, a Batesville native, has a personal and deeply impactful history with Baptist Health. He was diagnosed with coarctation of the aorta at a young age. The medical team at Arkansas Children’s Hospital communicated with the team at Baptist Health and decided that the best plan for him was to come to Baptist Health.
“I woke up on a device about the size of a washing machine at that time next to me that was pumping my blood for me,” Fitzgerald said. “I was told that I would need a heart transplant.”
While at Baptist Health, Fitzgerald received a heart transplant. The transplant was conducted by John Ransom, MD, and Steve Hutchins, MD.
“Not only is Baptist Health where I practice and work on a day-to-day basis, but this is also the place where I came to heal when I needed a heart transplant,” he said. “This is the hospital that made that happen.”