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DR. JIMMY WINDSOR
Inside Business - Hampton Roads
Monday May 15, 2006

"I found a job in New Orleans, and then, Katrina hit. My wife, Irene, couldn't find a job post-Katrina. She was offered a job at the Veterans Affairs hospital in New Orleans, and then, the position disappeared. We needed a place we could both work. I loved my job there, but while Ochsner was intact, the Veterans Affairs hospital was destroyed.

"We were one of the three functioning hospitals in New Orleans. We were getting patients with no medical histories; some were very, very ill. I was living in my office for about six weeks. After a disaster like that, you take a dip in your abilities because of the amount of clean water. We got back on our feet very quickly; we were able to perform cardiac surgery and acute cardiac services within a week.

"We didn't want jobs in a huge city. We were coming from Miami, where it was way overcrowded. We wanted a good place to raise our children.

"I provide anesthesia, pain relief and relaxation. In the cardiac role, I do the echocardiogram and I look at the intracardiac anatomy of the patient.
The surgeon does the operation, but I help to get the heart working again.

"At Ochsner, I spent 100 percent of my time doing cardiac anesthesia. We were doing pediatric anesthesia, ventricular systems, lung transplants and neonatal anesthesia.

"At the Heart Institute, on average, procedures can last about three to four hours. That includes the anesthesia part and the surgery. I've been in transplants that lasted 12 to 14 hours; I once spent 18 hours straight on a liver transplant.

"I can't remember wanting to be anything else. At 5, I knew I wanted to be a doctor. As soon as I was allowed to go volunteer, I did. When I was 13, I caught buses on the Miami Metro to volunteer at Mercy Hospital. It was intellectually stimulating and I felt it was emotionally rewarding."

- Interview by Erick Soricelli

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Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System is a leading health care organization known for providing care for the whole person with grace and clinical distinction. Bon Secours brings together a network of hospitals, primary care practices, ambulatory care sites and continuing care facilities to provide quality health care services to the residents of Hampton Roads. Bon Secours, which employs more than 4,500, includes: Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center, Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center, Mary Immaculate Hospital, Bon Secours Health Center at Harbour View, Bon Secours Maryview Nursing Care Center and St. Francis Nursing Center.

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