In his 34-year career at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, Dr. John Crouch has performed more than 300 heart transplants.
As the director of the cardiac surgery service line and surgical director of cardiac transplantation and mechanical circulatory support, Crouch has seen everything one could imagine with the cardiovascular system. Crouch calls to check in on his patients every weekend, holiday and vacation, said Jackie Budynek, nurse practitioner at Aurora Health Care.
“He comes to the hospital at all hours of the day and night if there is an unstable patient. He comes in on his ‘off’ weekends to round if there are patients he’s worried about,” Budynek said. “Most recently, he sat at the bedside on and off all night watching a critically ill patient.”
“Dr. Crouch is a cardiac surgeon because it’s what he loves and what every patient deserves — someone in their corner fighting for them,” said Budynek.
