![\"Jane](\"https:\/\/www.sonomavalleyhospital.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Jane-in-Garden-with-fountain-200x300.jpg\")
For more than 54 years, Jane has called Sonoma home. A marriage and family therapist who has lived in Sonoma since 1972, she has built a life deeply connected to the community she loves\u2014one filled with lasting friendships, neighbors she can count on, and an appreciation for the comfort of living in a small town where people care for one another.<\/p>\n
That sense of community became especially meaningful one frightening morning when Jane suddenly found herself facing a medical emergency.\u00a0 <\/span>It started as a feeling she couldn\u2019t quite explain.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI just didn\u2019t feel well Thursday night,\u201d Jane recalls. \u201cA little nauseous, some discomfort in my chest\u2014but nothing that made me think it was my heart.\u201d She went to bed hoping rest would help. But early the next morning, everything changed. \u201cI woke up and my heart was racing\u2014really racing. I knew something wasn\u2019t right.\u201d<\/p>\n Jane called the advice nurse at Kaiser, who asked her to count her heartbeats. The number was alarming\u2014well over 100 beats per minute. The response was immediate and clear. \u201cThey told me, \u2018This is an emergency. You need to go to the nearest hospital right away,\u2019\u201d Jane says. \u201cI said, \u2018My nearest hospital is Sonoma Valley Hospital,\u2019 and they said, \u2018Then go there.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n A neighbor quickly stepped in to drive her, and from the moment she arrived, care began without delay. \u201cI was taken in immediately,\u201d she says. \u201cVery quickly, the doctor told me I was in tachycardia\u2014an extremely rapid heartbeat\u2014and that they needed to slow it down.\u201d Though the diagnosis was frightening, Jane found reassurance in the team around her. \u201cThe doctor was very capable and gave me confidence. And the nurses\u2014there were two of them\u2014they were so kind and attentive. I was scared, and they stayed right there with me.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201dThe care team explained that they would administer a medication designed to briefly stop and restart her heart\u2014essentially resetting its rhythm. \u201cThey told me exactly what would happen, which helped,\u201d Jane says. \u201cBut it was still intense. My body jolted, my heart stopped for a few seconds, and then it kicked back in.\u201d<\/p>\n The procedure worked.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I stayed,\u201d she says. \u201cThey moved me upstairs, continued to monitor me, and made sure my heart rhythm stayed stable.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>She remained at Sonoma Valley Hospital for another 24 hours under observation\u2014close to home, surrounded by a team she had already come to trust. \u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIn the end, I received everything I needed right here,\u201d Jane says. \u201cI was well cared for, and I didn\u2019t have to leave my community to get that level of care.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking back, what stands out most isn\u2019t just the clinical expertise\u2014it\u2019s the compassion.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI couldn\u2019t have been more grateful,\u201d she says. \u201cThe medical care was excellent, but the kindness\u2014that\u2019s what stayed with me.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, Jane continues to manage her heart health, but her perspective on emergency care is clear\u2014and it\u2019s something she hopes others understand.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhen it\u2019s an emergency, you don\u2019t have to drive far,\u201d she says. \u201cYou go to the nearest hospital\u2014and for us, that\u2019s Sonoma Valley Hospital. We are so lucky to have it. The emergency room team is amazing.<\/p>\n Sonoma Valley Hospital Emergency Department Each year, Sonoma Valley Hospital cares for nearly 1,400 patients experiencing heart-related emergencies, providing rapid diagnosis, stabilization, and life-saving treatment when every second matters. As Jane\u2019s experience shows, in an emergency, the most important decision is to seek care immediately at the nearest hospital. Even if you are a Kaiser member or a Veteran, you can\u2014and should\u2014come to Sonoma Valley Hospital for emergency care. Our team is here 24\/7, ready to provide expert, compassionate care close to home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":25315,"template":"","class_list":["post-25314","hospital-story","type-hospital-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonomavalleyhospital.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hospital-story\/25314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonomavalleyhospital.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hospital-story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonomavalleyhospital.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/hospital-story"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonomavalleyhospital.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonomavalleyhospital.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Jane](\"https:\/\/www.sonomavalleyhospital.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Jane-with-Pink-Roses-300x200.jpg\")
\u201cAnd we were all so happy,\u201d she says. \u201cI started to feel better almost immediately.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>Jane remained in the emergency department for monitoring and hydration while the team coordinated with Kaiser for a transfer for further observation. But as the day went on, it became clear that a transfer wouldn\u2019t be possible.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThey kept checking in with Kaiser throughout the day,\u201d she recalls. \u201cBut they were overwhelmed\u2014there weren\u2019t enough beds or ambulances available.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>Instead of being transferred out of the community, Jane continued her care right where she was.<\/p>\n
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