Madison Reporter

Jean Reiche, a clinical dietitian and marathon runner from Madison, Wisconsin, faced a life-threatening situation when she experienced shortness of breath during a run in September. Initially attributing her symptoms to a respiratory virus, Reiche was unaware of the severity of her condition.

Following advice from Ben Williams, a physical therapist at UW Health East Madison Hospital, and Ben Kempfer, a physician assistant at UW Health DeForest-Windsor Clinic, Reiche sought emergency medical care. This decision proved crucial as tests revealed she had blood clots in her lungs.

“The Emergency Department staff told me that I was lucky I didn’t go home that night to sleep it off because I could have had a stroke or died,” said Reiche.

Williams and Kempfer played pivotal roles in directing Reiche towards immediate care. Williams insisted on further examination after noticing something amiss during a routine visit for an ongoing calf issue. Kempfer expedited lab results confirming abnormal findings which led to the urgent recommendation for emergency treatment.

“She was dismissive at first, but my clinical intuition told me something wasn’t right,” Williams recalled.

Reiche received prompt treatment with blood thinners upon arrival at the hospital and has since been recovering steadily. She expressed gratitude for what she refers to as “Team Ben.”

“Team Ben saved my life. They were so thorough and took that extra step for patient-centered care,” she said.

Both Williams and Kempfer emphasized the importance of thorough examinations and patient relationships in providing effective healthcare.

“Jean has been my patient the past few years, so because she trusted me, she listened to my strong recommendation to seek more testing,” Williams noted.

“We try to provide good care and advice every single day to all our patients,” Kempfer added. “We are here to help, and in this case, we saved a life.”

Reiche is gradually resuming her running activities while consulting specialists to maintain her health moving forward.

“I laughed and told PA Ben, ‘Can you just be my provider now? We got off to a good start with you saving my life,’” she remarked humorously about finding her new primary care doctor through this experience.