Thank You Dr. Harkins

I am alive today because of the medical expertise/personal care of Dr. James P. Harkins, MD. During the summer of 1995, my wife and I along with a friend from work and his wife were leaving, on Friday, to spend the week-end at the New Jersey shore. Because I was having coughing episodes and I thought it was the beginning of a cold, I stopped to see Dr. Harkins. After the initial examination, I was expecting Dr. Harkins to give me a prescription for the pharmacy. Right after the examination, his assistant and nurse came into the examination room and began additional tests, including a heart monitoring exam. I said why are you doing these tests. They said, "we were told to immediately come in and do these tests". Shortly afterwards, Dr. Harkins entered the room. I said, "Dr. Harkins why did you instruct your staff to do these tests". I said my wife and friends are waiting for me to leave for the shore. He said you aren't going to the shore. You are going to hospital now. I called the hospital and they are waiting for you. Needless to say I was shocked. When I got to the hospital, I stated to get worried; because, there was a person at the front entrance with a wheel chair waiting for me. I was taken directly to the emergence room. They performed numerous tests. During the tests, a doctor in a white jacket walked up behind me and observed the tests. When he left, I asked the nurse attending me, "Who was that doctor? She said "Dr. Coady, Chief of Cardiology. I said, does he come into the emergency room often? She said, I have never saw him in here before". After the tests, I was taken to Dr. Coady's Office. To his credit, Dr. Harkins had called ahead and scheduled the exams/tests. Shortly afterwards, I had a heart operation that saved my life. As I stated, I am alive today because Dr. Harkins. possesses the professional/personal experience to recognize this fatal symptom and doesn't hesitate to act it.