A Madison, Indiana, man who received responsive care from Norton Heart & Vascular Institute and cardiac rehab support at Norton King’s Daughters’ Health is encouraging others to pay attention to their heart health.

Published: February 10, 2026

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Madison, Indiana, resident Scott Koerner knows firsthand that life can change in an instant.

While Scott was undergoing a stress test of his heart at Norton King’s Daughters’ Health in Madison in August 2025, the attending physician abruptly stopped the test to tell Scott that he was having a heart attack.

“You’re immediately scared, fearful,” Scott said. “You worry about your wife and your family.”

Scott was immediately transferred to Norton Brownsboro Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, where he underwent a cardiac catheterization procedure within 30 minutes of arrival.

During the procedure, Mostafa O. El-Refai, M.D., interventional cardiologist with Norton Heart & Vascular Institute, placed a stent in Scott’s left anterior descending artery, often referred to as the “widow-maker artery.”

Due to the prompt medical response to the heart attack during the stress test, Scott experienced only a 1% loss of heart function.

“When I arrived at [Norton Brownsboro Hospital], I was scared, and everything was moving so fast,” Scott said. “The competence of the staff and the focus of the nurses were amazing. They calmed me down, and after meeting them I never had a doubt that I would live. I knew I was in good hands.”

Roughly two weeks after returning home to Madison, Scott, 62, began cardiac rehabilitation at Norton King’s Daughters’ Health. This past December, he completed the last of his 36 sessions, which he generally attended three days a week.

Cardiac rehabilitation allows patients like Scott a chance to begin an exercise program under the watchful eye of trained exercise physiologists like Jared Rogers, MBA, CCRP, at Norton King’s Daughters’ Health. Rehab team members like Jared specialize in safely rebuilding a patient’s strength and stamina.

“Jared understands what you’ve been through,” Scott said. “He provided a complete analysis of my situation. Jared is calm and caring and works with you throughout your progress. He cheers you on. He makes you feel at ease.”

Beyond Jared and another cardiac rehabilitation team member, Tim Sexton, a respiratory care practitioner, Scott thanked cardiovascular technicians Donna Schafer and Carmen Salazar Kidd for their work with the cardiopulmonary team during his stress test in Madison.

“Scott’s progression was a model for the course we hope to help patients chart through participation in cardiac rehab,” Jared said. “He was willing to take a good look at his current situation as he entered cardiac rehab. He looked ahead and set goals related to his future health outcomes. He put forth consistent effort to make small but steady progress toward those goals each day.

“It was a fulfilling opportunity to help Scott work toward his goals, and I know his positive presence also helped lift others who were exercising alongside him during his cardiac rehab sessions.”

According to Scott, exercising with a group in rehab had the benefit of camaraderie.

“We would talk and share stories,” Scott said. “We talked about our families and activities. It was more of an event than exercising.”

Today, when Scott thinks back to August 2025, he realizes the outcome could have been very different. 

After selling his Brittany’s Brick Oven Pizza restaurant (often called “B-Bop’s” by locals), he noticed he had put on some extra weight and began walking in his neighborhood for exercise. During one of those walks, he experienced some jaw pain and arm pain on his right side. That prompted him to see his doctor and get scheduled for a stress test — a test that may have saved his life.

“I’ve told people I was healthy until I wasn’t,” Scott said.

For years, Scott managed and later owned the former Key West Shrimp House in downtown Madison. He also started a band, Shock Treatment, in 2003. The group plays both original tunes and a variety of cover songs and donates proceeds to various charitable causes.

Most recently, according to Scott, in October 2024 Shock Treatment raised $3,000 for the local Shop With a Hero event, an opportunity for children in the community to go holiday shopping with EMTs, firefighters and police officers.

This Heart Month, Scott encourages others to make heart-healthy choices and take care of their heart.

“Watch your fat and sugar intake,” Scott said. “Exercise doesn’t have to be intense. You can go on repeated walks. I have bonus time now. I was so fortunate. Every day is a blessing.”