Every day, our frontline emergency healthcare providers battle to save the lives of people with the most time-sensitive medical emergencies. These EMS professionals are remarkable in their skill, precision, and teamwork, and their efforts to save those on the brink of death are truly heroic.
One such incredible save occurred recently in the City of Pharr, Texas. Michael “Jim” Naida was enjoying a round of golf with his wife one hot afternoon when he began to experience chest pain and shortness of breath on the 7th hole. He felt woozy.
A call to 9-1-1 was placed. City of Pharr EMS arrived shortly thereafter and witnessed Mr. Naida suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). They immediately initiated their resuscitation protocol, performing chest compressions, defibrillation, and ventilations that together saved his life and preserved excellent cognitive function.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Mr. Naida said in a video produced by the City of Pharr. “You certainly gave me my life back again and that was wonderful. I have to commend the City of Pharr.”
City of Pharr EMS participates in the Texas Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (TX-CARES), an OHCA data collection platform EMS agencies and hospitals use to measure and optimize care and outcomes in the communities they serve. About 85 agencies and 150 hospitals are enrolled in the program, which compiled complete records on more than 11,000 OHCAs statewide in 2022.
“The fact that they (the responding team) were able to recognize that quickly and were able to bring this gentleman back and he’s alive today … that’s awesome,” said Chief Daniel Ramirez. “Somebody’s grandpa is still alive, somebody’s husband is still alive, somebody’s brother is still alive, somebody’s dad is still alive.”
The care that literally restored Mr. Naida to life is another example of the improbable cardiac resuscitations that Texas-CARES communities continually perform. Our thanks to these agencies and hospitals, a sincere congratulations to City of Pharr EMS, and best wishes to Mr. Naida and his family.
