Three Off-Duty UIHC Nurses Save Life of Iowa Man Who Collapsed

A trio of nurses from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) in Iowa City jumped into action to save the life of an Iowa man at the hospital this summer. He had just taken his wife to an appointment when he collapsed without warning. The quick response of the off-duty nurses saved his life.

On a Friday afternoon in June, Ervin Imm and his wife Sherry were about to make their way into a skywalk between the hospital and a parkade when Ervin suddenly collapsed. He would later say he had no warning: "I didn't have any chest pains and I wasn't dizzy or feeling unbalanced. I was just walking with my wife, and then suddenly I was on the floor. I had no indication that I wasn't feeling well."

When Imm collapsed, Julie Liebe and Kelsey DeWeese immediately reacted. Both Liebe and DeWeese had just finished their shifts in hospital operating rooms when they heard Imm fall. Liebe checked Imm for a pulse. He was not responsive and was turning blue. Liebe and DeWeese then began chest compressions.

Courtney Heid, a stem cell transplant nurse who was also off-duty, then arrived on the scene. She made security guards aware of the emergency and raced to retrieve an automatic external defibrillator (AED). Together, Heid, Liebe, and DeWeese very quickly had Imm responsive and talking.

According to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Liebe had clocked out at 3:30 p.m. Nine minutes later, she, Heid, and DeWeese had used the AED to deliver the shock that saved Imm's life.

Imm, 84, is doing well. After being taken to the emergency room on that June afternoon, he was admitted to UIHC. He would have a device implanted that detects arrhythmias and delivers shocks when needed.

Imm says he's "very thankful that the nurses were knowledgeable and had the skills to bring me back. The entire staff at the hospital was looking out for me. I have nothing but praise for all of them."

There are a ton of healthcare heroes in Iowa and Julie Liebe, Kelsey DeWeese, and Courtney Heid (left to right below) are definitely three of them.