Advocate recognizes patients, physicians with Chicago Bulls

CHICAGO – During Heart Health Month and just before Valentine’s Day, Advocate Health Care and the Chicago Bulls teamed up for the fourth year to honor heart patients and promote heart health during the annual Hoops & Hearts game.

Ten heart patients from throughout the Chicago area, their loved ones and Advocate Health Care physicians gathered for a special pre-game dinner before the Chicago Bulls took on the Detroit Pistons. It was a chance for patients to reunite with their care teams and celebrate their recovery. They also heard from former Chicago Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich and had him sign their new, custom jerseys.

Advocate Health Care patients took part in the flag unfurling during the national anthem and participated in the fan funnel.

One of those patients was Terry Johnson, 76, of Huntley.

Terry works on a golf course and was having trouble walking around the course and doing his responsibilities there every day. He was often very short of breath.

He visited the cardiology team at Advocate Sherman Hospital for care and eventually learned he would need a transcatheter aortic valve replacement. He had the valve replaced in October.

Thanks to Dr. Maciej Krzystof Malinski, Dr. Daniel Ahmad and Dr. Devang Joshi, now he has no trouble walking the course and doing other activities.

He is very active, busy keeping up with his 11 grandkids and still keeping up with cardiac rehab at Sherman.