Joe’s Story: Expert Care at UH Helps Man Reclaim His Health

A powerful combination of expert medical care, patient engagement and the critical role of mental health in managing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy supported lifechanging results.

Joe Gielink’s medical journey spans nearly two decades with a progression from early, vague symptoms to a complex set of cardiovascular and metabolic conditions. To live healthier and feel better, he faced significant personal lifestyle changes and advanced medical intervention, including a long road to a correct diagnosis. He achieved all of that with encouragement, support and expertise from caregivers at University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute.

In 2006, while living in Arizona, Joe first experienced unusual and concerning physical symptoms that were hard to precisely describe. The issues were evaluated but ultimately attributed to anxiety.

“I had an underlying feeling that something more was wrong, but I didn’t know what else to do at the time,” Joe said.

A decade later, in 2016, Joe moved back to Ohio and continued having strange, uncomfortable symptoms. One day, he had trouble walking and breathing, and he collapsed to the floor. He went to a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AFib).

AFib is the most common heart arrythmia, caused when the upper chambers of the heart do not beat properly, restricting blood flow to the heart’s lower chambers. An estimated 12 million people in the U.S. suffer from AFib, which puts people at a five-fold risk of stroke. Symptoms of AFib can include a fast, pounding heartbeat, chest pain, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath and lightheadedness.

Joe tried multiple medications to control his condition. However, these treatments had limited effectiveness, and his symptoms persisted.

Over the next several years, Joe continued to not feel well, sometimes passing out. His condition continued to interfere significantly with his daily life. In 2017, he underwent an ablation procedure intended to correct the arrhythmia. Unfortunately, the benefits were short-lived. He continued to experience episodes of AFib, during which he again felt unable to walk or breathe. Despite the severity of his symptoms, he was advised at times to learn to live with the condition.

A cardiologist at another local hospital prescribed a different medication regimen, which provided a little improvement. But at that time, no additional diagnostic testing was performed.

“Honestly, it felt like I was never going to feel well or healthy again, which was so devastating,” said Joe.

Then, an insurance change led Joe to explore care with University Hospitals. He independently researched specialists at UH and found Judith Mackall, MD, cardiac electrophysiologist and Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Genetics at UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute. This decision proved pivotal.

“When I met Dr. Mackall, for the first time I felt truly heard by a healthcare provider,” said Joe. “She took time with me and carefully considered all of my symptoms and recommended further testing.”

“After meeting Joe and speaking with him, I suspected that he had a more complex underlying condition,” said Dr. Mackall. “I ordered advanced imaging that ultimately revealed a structural heart disease.”

Joe was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). HCM can be a serious structural heart disease in which the heart muscle thickens abnormally, making it harder to pump blood. This thickening can obstruct blood flow and lead to various symptoms, including chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue or palpitations.

“Having a correct diagnosis is important, because we can offer different medications and treatments,” said Dr. Mackall.

UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute provides care to patients with HCM through its multidisciplinary Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center.

“I felt like I had more answers, but also now another problem,” said Joe. “By this time, which was the end of 2023, I had contracted COVID three times, weighed 310 pounds, and was newly diagnosed with diabetes on top of the AFib – and now HCM. I felt depressed and hopeless.”

At this critical moment, a member of Joe’s UH care team played a transformative role. Diane Donato, RN, is a nurse navigator with the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center. Her job is to connect directly with patients, spending time with them to help them really understand their condition, medications, treatments and options. Joe was given her direct phone number for an easy point-of-contact with his care team. Diane and other nurse navigators also help coordinate patients’ many medical tests and appointments to optimize their time.

Recognizing Joe’s emotional state, Diane initially gave him space to process the news.

“After about a week, I got back to Joe and explained HCM to him in layman’s terms to make sure he understood the condition better,” said Diane. “We then discussed his treatment plan and his role in it, which I hoped would give him some sense of control.”

“Diane was a godsend,” said Joe. “She was so compassionate and really talked me off the ledge.”

Inspired by his interactions with Diane and motivated to improve his health, Joe began making significant lifestyle changes. He adopted a healthier diet and started an exercise routine that resulted in an initial weight loss of 40 pounds. Around the same time, he began treatment with Camzyos, a medication used to manage HCM. With assistance from Diane, he was able to obtain insurance coverage for this costly therapy. The initial response was very positive, and Joe and his care team were encouraged by the improvement.

“HCM is truly a team sport,” said Diane. “When the patient, physicians and care team are all aligned, patient satisfaction and outcomes improve. Joe is the perfect example of this.”

Joe also began seeing another cardiologist at UH. Bradley Lander, MD, is Director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center. Joe and Dr. Lander developed a trusting relationship as Joe continued to make progress.

In December 2025, Joe underwent another ablation procedure at UH as part of a proactive strategy to manage the combined challenges of AFib and HCM.

“Joe underwent an atrial fibrillation ablation using a newly adopted technology called pulse field ablation, or PFA,” said Dr. Lander. “This method is becoming the preferred ablation method for eligible patients. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see how his quality of life has improved since I first met him.”

PFA is a catheter-based procedure that uses short bursts of high-voltage electrical energy to effectively isolate areas responsible for atrial fibrillation. The procedure is offered as an alternative to traditional thermal catheter ablation methods that use either heat or cold energy to destroy the diseased cells. PFA is FDA-approved, and about 70 to 85 percent of patients who get PFA are free from AFib one year after the procedure, although patients with HCM have a higher chance for AFib recurrence. Less than 2 percent of PFA patients experience complications.

The combination of Joe’s lifestyle changes and the PFA procedure proved remarkable. Joe has lost a total of 155 pounds – half of his initial body weight – and now reports being in the best shape of his life. His diabetes is well controlled with an A1C of 4.8. He maintains a healthy lifestyle focused on proper nutrition and hydration. As his condition has improved, his medication burden has decreased, leading to increased energy and the possibility of reducing medications further.

“My quality of life has totally transformed since I began care with UH,” said Joe, now 59 years old. “I’ve returned to activities I enjoy, including playing guitar in a band, which is so much fun. I’m physically active again, going on bike rides and walks. I’m strength training. I’ve even completed two 5K races!”

Reflecting on his journey, Joe emphasizes that reclaiming his health required both personal commitment and a strong partnership with his care team. Ultimately, Joe’s story illustrates the powerful combination of expert medical care, patient engagement and the critical role of mental health in managing chronic illness.