From Provider to Patient to Advocate: Regina Welkie Nominated as an American Heart Association 2022 Woman of Impact
“Doesn’t everyone’s story start with a sandwich?” Regina Welkie asked the lecture hall filled with DeSales physician assistant students and faculty.
The audience was flush with crimson and cherry for National Wear Red Day, an annual event dedicated to heart health and stroke awareness, as well as eradication of cardiovascular disease.
After receiving a call from her cardiologist telling her she needed to be admitted into the hospital, Welkie ’02, M’03, MSPAS, PA-C, assistant professor, clinical coordinator, was more concerned with eating lunch than seeking medical attention. She recalls sitting down to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when her phone rang again. This time it was a colleague from the electrophysiology team, urging her to report to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, now.
Her response? “Can I bring my sandwich?”
“My coworker walked me up to the CICU with my sandwich and I went from provider to patient in a matter of seconds,” said Welkie. “I still had my coat and my stethoscope, and they threw them off and put a gown on. … It was a scary time.”
As a healthy 34-year-old with no significant risk factors for heart disease, Welkie wasn’t overly concerned when she began experiencing palpitations, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness. Still, she underwent a series of examinations and testing but was told that she was healthy — maybe she ought to cut down on her caffeine intake.
When her symptoms worsened, she was provided with a 24-hour Holter monitor, which is what ultimately led doctors to identify that she needed intensive care. Eventually, Welkie was diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, a disease where normal heart tissue is replaced by fibrofatty tissue. If left unchecked, the disease can result in sudden cardiac arrest.
“Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in women, and it can affect women of any age,” said Welkie. “Women are often misdiagnosed and undertreated, and many believe women are less likely to have problems or more likely to overdramatize symptoms.”
Welkie’s passion for promoting heart health and her fearlessness in discussing her experience is one of the many reasons she was nominated as an American Heart Association 2022 Woman of Impact. As a nominee, she will gather a team of supporters who will help her fundraise for the AHA and advocate for heart health awareness.
Welkie urges women to educate themselves on symptoms of heart disease and encourages medical students to listen to their patients, acknowledge biases, and continue testing patients who keep coming back with symptoms.
“I’m here with all of you celebrating Go Red and I’m grateful. I’m grateful to be here; I’m grateful for my life. Hopefully you’ll remember this one day when you see a patient who is a lot like me.”
