• Careers | Northwest Network

Northwest Health (IN)
  • Quick Links
    • Find a Doctor
    • Services
      • Services

        • View All Services
        • Bariatric Weight Loss Services
        • Cancer Care
        • Critical Care Medicine
        • Diabetes Care
        • Diagnostic Imaging
        • Digestive Health
        • Ear, Nose & Throat Care
        • Emergency Services
        • Heart Care
        • Infusion Services
        • Laboratory Services
        • Maternity Care
        • Neonatal Intensive Care
        • Neurology
        • Neurosurgery
        • Orthopedic Services
        • Primary Care
        • Rehabilitation Services
        • Respiratory Care
        • Sleep Medicine
        • Stroke Care
        • Surgical Services
        • Urgent Care
        • Urology
        • Women's Health
        • Wound Care
          • Patients & Visitors
            • For Patients

              • Patients & Visitors
              • Award Nominations
              • Events
              • Financial Information
              • Health Library
              • Online Scheduling
              • Patient Portal
                • Careers
                • Locations
                  • Hospitals
                  • Laboratories
                  • Medical Centers
                  • Medical Plaza
                  • Northwest Medical Group
                  • Outpatient Rehabilitation
                  • Urgent Care
                  • Wound Care Centers
                  • Emergency Departments
                • About
                  • About

                    • About Us
                    • Awards & Accreditations
                    • Careers
                    • Community Benefits
                    • Community Support
                    • Contact Us
                    • Newsroom
                    • Quality & Safety
                    • Volunteer Opportunities
                      • NWHealthIN.com
                      • Northwest Health
                        • Northwest Health - La Porte
                        • Northwest Health - Porter
                        • Northwest Health - Starke
                        • Northwest Health - Lakeshore Surgicare
                        • Northwest Medical Group
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Events
                      • Contact
                      • analog clock icon
                      • Avg ER Wait Times

                        View ER Wait Times
                      Home/About Us/Newsroom/La Porte Hospital patient receives area’s first leadless pacemaker

                      Refine Results

                      Affiliated Hospitals





                      About Us
                      Awards & Accreditations
                      Careers
                      Physician and Advanced Practitioner Opportunities
                      Community Benefits
                      Community Support
                      Contact Us
                      Newsroom
                      E-Newsletter Sign Up
                      2024 News Releases
                      2023 News Releases
                      2022 News Releases
                      2021 News Releases
                      2020 News Releases
                      2019 News Releases
                      2018 News Releases
                      2017 News Releases
                      2016 News Releases
                      2015 News Releases
                      Quality & Safety
                      ADA Accessibility Policy
                      Diversity Policy
                      Joint Commission Notice
                      Notice of Privacy Practices
                      Organized Health Care Arrangement Status
                      Patient Rights & Responsibilities
                      Privacy Policy
                      Terms & Conditions
                      Volunteer Opportunities
                      eNewsletter Redirect
                      Events
                      Events
                      Find a Doctor
                      Locations
                      Notice of Non-Discrimination
                      Patients & Visitors
                      Services
                      • Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Featuring a monthly dose of information and inspiration for living well.

                        Learn More
                      • Mobile Device

                        Online Scheduling

                        Free, convenient online check-in services.

                        Learn More
                      • Nurse and Patient

                        Patient Portal

                        Access your medical information
                        on demand.

                        Learn More

                      La Porte Hospital patient receives area’s first leadless pacemaker

                      7/23/2018

                      La Porte, Ind. – A pacemaker the size of a large vitamin rests inside the heart of retired Michigan City priest Bob Gehring, and he couldn’t be happier. In fact, he said, he feels better than before, and can’t recall any pain from the procedure whatsoever.

                      KaufmanGehring is the recipient of the first leadless pacemaker implanted in the area (La Porte, Porter, Starke, Marshall counties) at La Porte Hospital on June 27. Scott Kaufman, D.O., an electrophysiologist on staff at La Porte Hospital, deployed the world’s tiniest pacemaker into Gehring’s heart by threading it up through a vein in the groin, like other procedures done inside the electrophysiology lab.

                      Hours later, Gehring, 81, was walking around. Weeks later, he reports he has much more energy than before, and he’s not worried about passing out behind the wheel of a car. He is happy to return to working as a part-time chaplain at a Michigan City hospital.

                      It all started when Gehring passed out in the hospital lobby where he was finishing up a chaplain shift.

                      “My cardiologist, Dr. McKindra Fletcher, told me I needed a pacemaker, or I wouldn’t be able to drive anymore. At first I was anxious about it because I knew surgery would be involved, but then Dr. Kaufman told me I was a candidate for this procedure and showed me how tiny the unit was, and I thought: this is going to be a good thing,” Gehring said.

                      Gehring has a condition called bradycardia, characterized by a slow or irregular heart rhythm, usually fewer than 60 beats per minute.

                      “Dr. Fletcher told me my heart was actually stopping for about 2.5 seconds at a time before starting again,” Gehring said.

                      When this occurs, the heart is not able to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body during normal activity or exercise, causing dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, or fainting spells. Pacemakers are the most common way to treat bradycardia to help restore the heart’s normal rhythm and relieve symptoms by sending electrical impulses to the heart to increase the heart rate.

                      Kaufman said Gehring was an ideal candidate for the tiny pacemaker because he has a chronic heart rhythm condition called atrial fibrillation associated with symptomatic slow heart rates. Therefore, he only needs single chamber pacing which is what this device provides.

                      “Bob’s procedure went flawlessly, and we are very pleased to be able to offer this service to our patients. The pacemaker he received is the latest generation of devices and has no external wires, or what we call ‘leads.’ This means we could implant it directly into the heart, and we did not have to create a surgical pocket under the skin in the chest. The device is also designed to automatically adjust pacing therapy based on Bob’s personal activity levels. It is very sophisticated technology,” Kaufman said.

                      Gehring said he is particularly impressed with the device’s data transmission technology. A small transmitter sits by his bedside and automatically transmits data from his device via wireless technology to a monitoring system, so nurses can continually review his heart’s activity.

                      “I had to go in one week after my procedure for a check-up, and they told me I don’t have to come back for an entire year. The battery life is good for up to 11 years,” he said.

                      If by off chance his device needs to be replaced in the distant future, it is small enough to remain in the heart and another one can be placed near it.

                      “An extensive amount of training and planning occurred on the part of Dr. Kaufman and the electrophysiology lab staff to be able to offer this technology to our patients. We are pleased to not only be the first in the area, but to continue as a leader in electrophysiology care for the La Porte and surrounding communities,” said Chris Atherton, RN, director of cardiology services at La Porte Hospital.

                      Gehring added that he is no stranger to heart procedures. In 2001, he had a minimally-invasive mitral valve replacement at a hospital in Chicago. He was grateful he had the opportunity to have this latest procedure close to his Michigan City home.

                      “La Porte Hospital is only 20 minutes away from my home. It is nice to have that kind of care here locally,” he said.

                      Gehring, who grew up in a farming family in North Judson, has a storied career in missionary work that started in Cambodia toward the end of the Vietnam War, where he helped refugees who were fleeing bombed villages. He also spent 10 years in Bolivia traveling to jungle villages along the river to assist with training village leaders on delivering the liturgy of the word.

                      An ordained priest for 50 years, and retired for 15 years from the Diocese of Gary, Gehring says he now has more energy to continue doing the things he loves in retirement, like twice-weekly dinner outings with fellow retirees in the area, and a monthly discussion group on the important topics of the times. And, his experience carries over to his chaplaincy work.

                      “Now that I’ve had this procedure, as I work as a chaplain, I’m now able to tell people, ‘I just went through this myself. I know what you’re going through. I’ve had this procedure and my heart is still ticking away.’”

                      Kaufman is part of a group of electrophysiologists with Northwest Indiana Cardiovascular Physicians. For more information about electrophysiology care at La Porte Hospital, visit laportehealth.com/heart-rhythm-disorders-heart-care.

                      Back

                      Affiliated Hospitals

                      • Northwest Health - La Porte
                      • Northwest Health - Porter
                      • Northwest Health - Starke
                      • ADA Accessibility Policy
                      • Terms & Conditions
                      • Privacy Policy
                      • Change Your Privacy Choices
                      • Notice of Privacy Practices
                      • Patient Rights & Responsibilities
                      • Price Transparency

                      Copyright ©2025. All rights reserved.

                      Northwest Health - Porter is owned in part by physicians.

                      An AllianceHealth Oklahoma® hospital

                      Services

                      • Bariatric Weight Loss Services
                      • Cancer Care
                      • Critical Care Medicine
                      • Diabetes Care
                      • Diagnostic Imaging
                      • Digestive Health
                      • Ear, Nose & Throat Care
                      • Emergency Services
                      • Heart Care
                      • Infusion Services
                      • Laboratory Services
                      • Maternity Care
                      • Neonatal Intensive Care
                      • Neurology
                      • Neurosurgery
                      • Orthopedic Services
                      • Primary Care
                      • Rehabilitation Services
                      • Respiratory Care
                      • Sleep Medicine
                      • Stroke Care
                      • Surgical Services
                      • Urgent Care
                      • Urology
                      • Women's Health
                      • Wound Care

                      Patients & Visitors

                      • Award Nominations
                      • Events
                      • Financial Information
                      • Health Library
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Patient Portal

                      About Us

                      • Awards & Accreditations
                      • Careers
                      • Community Benefits
                      • Community Support
                      • Contact Us
                      • Newsroom
                      • Quality & Safety
                      • Volunteer Opportunities

                      Notice of Nondiscrimination
                      • English,
                      • አማርኛ,
                      • العربية,
                      • বাংলা,
                      • ျမန္မာဘာသာ,
                      • tsalagi gawonihisdi,
                      • 繁體中文,
                      • Chahta,
                      • Oroomiffa,
                      • Nederlands,
                      • Français,
                      • Kreyòl Ayisyen,
                      • Deutsch,
                      • ગુજરાતી,
                      • हिंदी,
                      • Hmoob,
                      • Igbo asusu,
                      • Ilokano,
                      • Italiano,
                      • 日本語,
                      • 한국어,
                      • Ɓàsɔ́ɔ̀‑wùɖù‑po‑nyɔ̀,
                      • ພາສາລາວ,
                      • Kajin Ṃajōḷ,
                      • ខ្មែរ,
                      • Diné Bizaad,
                      • नेपाली,
                      • Deitsch,
                      • فارسی,
                      • Polski,
                      • Português,
                      • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
                      • Română,
                      • Русский,
                      • Gagana fa'a Sāmoa,
                      • Srpsko‑hrvatski,
                      • Español,
                      • ܣܘܼܪܸܬ݂,
                      • Tagalog,
                      • ภาษาไทย,
                      • Türkçe,
                      • Українська,
                      • اُردُو,
                      • Tiếng Việt,
                      • èdè Yorùbá,
                      • עִברִית
                      Loading... Loading...