Brownwood couple values quality healthcare close to home

Two life-threatening heart emergencies within the last 16 years have given Brownwood resident Eric Evans a firsthand appreciation for the importance of quality healthcare close to home.

After recovering from a 2010 heart attack, Evans faced another cardiac emergency in March 2024 that ultimately led to open-heart surgery at Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene. Still, Evans found himself talking less about what happened to him and more about where it happened.

"I say with a smile on my face how proud I am of what Hendrick Health is for this community," he said. "The doctors in Brownwood did what they did and put my heart back into rhythm."

After doctors at Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood stabilized his condition in 2024, he was transferred by ambulance to Abilene, where he underwent bypass surgery. What stayed with Eric and his wife, Jill, were moments that extended beyond medicine.

The experience stood in sharp contrast to the hospital Evans remembered from his 2010 heart attack, years before Hendrick Health acquired the Brownwood facility in 2020.

"It was then that I began to realize, 'OK, this isn't the same hospital I experienced when I had my other issues,' " he said. "Hendrick Health has brought something that's really special to our community."

Evans returned to Brownwood to continue his recovery, saying, "What we have in Brownwood, and the level of care we have at Hendrick, is not normal."

Jill experienced the same compassion when she faced a separate medical issue and the surgeon prayed with her before performing her gallbladder surgery.

"When these physicians actually pray over you, there's a peace and calmness that comes with that," she said. "We use those words: care and compassion. But when you see it played out, we are so proud to have Hendrick with us in Brownwood."