What started as a frightening medical emergency on the interstate turned into a testament to the lifesaving power of local care — and years of investment in heart care at Tanner Health.
In the early hours of Nov. 15, 2025, an Alpharetta, Georgia, man named John Brandt, 55 (pictured on the left), experienced a severe heart attack while driving on I-20 from Atlanta toward Birmingham. His 2026 Tesla Model Y, equipped with the latest Full Self-Driving software release on Oct. 20, 2025, kept moving even as he struggled behind the wheel.
His son, Jack, on the phone with his barely conscious dad — and with advice from an uncle who lives in Douglasville — was able to use the Tesla app (as an authorized driver) to reroute the car to Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton, where a dedicated heart care team in the emergency department was ready to respond. Within moments of arrival, Tanner physicians and staff were diagnosing and treating what could have been a fatal cardiac event without timely intervention.
“I was in my bed, and my phone started ringing. I wake up, and I see my dad is calling,” said Jack Brandt, 19 (pictured on the right). “He said, ‘I’m feeling chest pains,’ and pretty much immediately, I was like, ‘Okay, well, if that’s the case, then we need to get you to the hospital right now.’”
What many may not know, including Jack and his dad, is that Tanner has been building toward this caliber of lifesaving heart care for decades — including with its open-heart surgery program, a reality right here in Carrollton since January 2023. The open-heart surgery program allows patients to receive complex heart surgery — including coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) — close to home rather than traveling hours for care. Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton has offered angioplasty with stenting services since October 2006.
Part of a broader heart care strategy for the region. Tanner’s cardiac services range from emergency cardiac response and interventional cardiology to open-heart surgery and ongoing rehabilitation, all designed to match the urgency and complexity of heart disease no matter the moment.
“If you or someone near you experiences chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, lightheadedness or discomfort in the arm, back or jaw — call 911 immediately,” said Shazib Khawaja, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FSVM, chief of interventional cardiology and chair of heart and vascular services at Tanner Health. “Luckily, Mr. Brandt was driving a state-of-the-art vehicle and had a quick-thinking son. Please remember that emergency medical services can begin treatment on the way and alert the hospital team, so care is ready the moment you arrive. When it comes to a heart attack, every minute matters. Tanner is very capable of providing care for heart attack patients and has been doing it for the last two decades very successfully.”
“From my situation, I can’t imagine a better hospital,” said John Brandt, who had no previous diagnosis of heart disease. “At the same time, I’m thinking, ‘How in the world did that work out?’ I love you guys!”
That range of care — from the ED to the OR and beyond — is intentional. Tanner’s heart care team regularly coordinates across specialties, so patients get the right care, right when they need it. Clinicians point to the open-heart program as a milestone that enhances this continuity, ensuring that even the toughest heart cases can be addressed locally.
Nurses on the floor — whether in the ED, Adams Heart Center or post-surgical units — emphasize that patient support doesn’t stop after surgery or stabilization. Cardiac rehab and follow-up care are built into the Tanner model to help people recover and stay healthier longer.
"When someone comes to us with a heart issue, they’re often scared, and we never forget that,” said Paula Norton, RN, nurse manager of the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU). “From the moment they walk through our doors, including to rehab and follow‑up care, we’re right there with them. That ongoing support — knowing someone truly cares about their recovery — can make all the difference. In this case, our cardiologist and our cath lab team were able to recognize that Mr. Brandt was having a heart attack, get to him quickly and restore blood supply to his heart.”
For this family, like many others across west Georgia and east Alabama, the combination of cutting-edge technology, quick thinking and deep local expertise turned a near tragedy into a second chance — right here at Tanner.
For more information about Tanner’s heart program, visit tannerheartcare.org.