White, Jim

WSMV Nashville, TN… Posted: Aug 26, 2015 2:48 PM CDT, Updated: Jan 13, 2016 2:48 PM CST

Nashville man gives back after heart attack, reported by Terry Bulger

Jim White has volunteered over 1,000 hours at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Volunteering is a vital piece of daily operations for many people across the country. A personal experience can sometimes trigger the need to give back. It certainly did for Nashville’s Jim White. A heart attack led White to open his heart as a volunteer at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Every Friday, without exception, White puts on his red sports coat and heads to Vanderbilt Heart. White isn’t paid. He’s not a doctor or nurse. But patients recovering from heart surgery are happy when they hear his message.

“I know you’re a patient of Dr. Mike Patracek, and Dr. Patracek operated on me seven and a half years ago, when I was 72 years old,” White said. That experience brought him back to the hospital as a volunteer.

“When I was in the hospital, I visited patients in their rooms,” White said. “A lot of them didn’t have anyone who visited them, and I found out they really appreciate it and they perked up when you walked in and talked to them.”

It’s easy to spot White Fridays on the fifth floor of the Cardio Unit. “The red coat, absolutely,” said Dr. Mark Robbins, a Vanderbilt cardiologist. “He stands out.”

White is well known and his efforts are appreciated by patients and heart surgeons. “Vitally important for the atmosphere at Vanderbilt, so that people know they are cared for and that we have people dedicated like Jim and that he’s willing to help in any station necessary,” Robbins said.

At 80, White said he is living the advice he gives. “If you get off the couch and get out every day and exercise, I can assure you that you’ll have an easier experience if you have what elderly people end up with various diseases,” he said.

Since 2008, White has volunteered more than 1,000 hours with Vanderbilt.