Heart patient receives care close to home through teamwork of Ascension Sacred Heart doctors
Dr. Charles Mayes, interventional cardiologist and Dr. Greg England, cardiothoracic surgery treats Gregs Wiggins, a pastor at Seagrove Baptist Church on 30A in Walton County.
Greg Wiggins is a pastor at Seagrove Baptist Church on 30A in Walton County. When he started having problems with being short of breath and fatigued easily, he went to see his cardiologist Dr. Charles Mayes at Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart Cardiology at Destin. Dr. Mayes did a heart cath and discovered that Mr. Wiggins needed quadruple bypass surgery.
"I just thought I would need a stent, I had no idea I had heart disease because it doesn’t run in my family," said Wiggins.
Through Ascension’s team of doctors, Dr. Mayes was able to connect Mr. Wiggins with Dr. Greg England, cardiothoracic surgeon at Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart Cardiothoracic Surgery in Panama City. In July of 2020, at the start of COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Wiggins had his surgery at Ascension Sacred Heart Bay’s Heart Institute.
"Even though staff were dealing with COVID-19, I felt like I was the only one in the hospital," said Wiggins. "The communication with my wife from Dr. England was wonderful and gave her a piece of mind."
Wiggins continues to follow-up on his heart care with Dr. Mayes, but says he no longer has any of the symptoms he was dealing with and his quality of life has improved. And after more than 40 years in the ministry, Wiggins is looking forward to retirement.
"I consider myself to be so greatly blessed by the doctors and support staff and I couldn’t ask for better care," said Wiggins. "I recommend Ascension Sacred Heart to my friends who need heart care."
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From heart scans to heart surgery, get the advanced care you need at Ascension Sacred Heart. Click here to learn more about Ascension's heart care services in Northwest Florida.
Last updated: October 27, 2022