Dr. Michael LaMonto’s life was turned upside down in April
2011 when his left leg was crushed in a motorcycle accident. He
was bed-bound for two months following a six-hour surgery to
repair the damage to his shattered leg and knee.
“I was in rehab for almost two years,” Dr. LaMonto said. “It
took me more than a year to walk on one crutch. There were
dark days when I wasn’t progressing and I wondered; ‘What
am I going to do with my life?’”
Looking back, Dr. LaMonto says that the injury has positively
impacted every aspect of his life. “I’m a better husband, father,
doctor and person. It has given me the ability to feel greater
empathy, and I see how dramatically injury or illness can affect
a person’s life,” he said. “It’s devastating.”
At the time of the accident, Dr. LaMonto had been working
in the Sarah Bush Lincoln Emergency Department for six
years. He was drawn to the fast pace and unpredictability of
emergency medicine, but the accident forced him to shift gears.
His leg, while fully healed, would never be what it once was.
During his recovery, Dr. LaMonto worked part-time in the
cardiac stress-testing lab and in other areas of the hospital, but
he longed to have a greater impact on people’s lives. He decided
the best course of action would be to change specialties.
“I have always enjoyed cardiology,” he said. “I enjoy the
science of it and I’m fascinated by the complexity of the human
heart.” Thus, he returned home to the Chicago area and
embarked on a three-year fellowship at Midwestern University.
This was the first time that Dr. LaMonto had to tackle a
residency with a wife and two young children to think about.
“It was very difficult and challenging,” he said. “Doing this
with a family, the life pressures were much different than they
were before.”
Dr. LaMonto’s experience as an emergency room doctor was
a boon for him, however. He brought a specific skill set that
his younger, less experienced colleagues didn’t have. “The
first week, we had a patient coding, and I immediately started
evaluating this guy like an ER doctor – from a critical care
standpoint – so I brought that aspect to the table,” he said. “It
will make me a better cardiologist because I see a much bigger
picture than someone who just has a strict single speciality
background. I’ve always treated the whole person because in
the ER you have to take everything into consideration.”
Dr. LaMonto was twice voted “Fellow of the Year” by faculty
and colleagues. “It was great fun, and also freeing to step back
and absorb knowledge and teach,” he said. “I love teaching.”
Dr. LaMonto was eager to return to Sarah Bush Lincoln and
to the community where he and his wife had forged many
friendships and special bonds. “We consider this our home,” he
said. “People have just welcomed us back with open arms.”
He talked about how grateful he is for his Emergency Department
colleagues who supported him during his recovery by working
extra shifts to cover his absence and helping him through his
personal journey, as well. “It wasn’t just a job,” Dr. LaMonto
said. “It’s family. We watched out for each other and took care of
each other.”
“I’m a better husband, father, doctor
and person. The accident has given
me the ability to feel greater empathy,
and I see how dramatically injury or
illness can affect a person’s life.”
Michael LaMonto, DO
Dr. LaMonto began his career as a Prairie Heart Institute of
Illinois cardiologist in The Heart Center in September and looks
forward to getting to know his patients. “Building a strong
relationship will help us work together to prevent the progression
of heart disease,” he said.
Dr. LaMonto holds six board certifications including general
cardiology, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, internal
medicine, emergency medicine, and aerospace medicine. Prior
to his injury, he served as a flight surgeon in the US Air Force
Reserves. Now he works with fellow Prairie Heart cardiologists
Thomas Cahill, MD, and Amit Dande, MD, and Physician
Assistant Allyson Gough, PA-C, to evaluate and treat people with
issues ranging from coronary artery disease to rhythm disorders
and valve disease.
For more information, or to make an appointment with Dr. LaMonto at The Heart Center,
call 217-238-4960. To learn more about The Heart Center go to www.sarahbush.org.
november 2016
healthstyles 9