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March 16, 2007

Judges reflect on ‘medical emergency’ at courthouse

By Carol Colaizzi

Lawrence County Judge J. Craig Cox called it “quite an adventure.”

He also used the words scary and incredible to describe the medical emergency outside his courtroom yesterday morning.

Cox and attorney William Panella were in a hallway outside courtroom number 2, talking about procedural issues for a case, when Panella said, “My chest is hurting.”

“Are you OK?” the judge asked, and when Panella said the pain was “pretty bad” Cox helped him to a seat. “It’s really hurting. I’m sweating,” Panella said.

When Cox asked if he should call an ambulance, and Panella said, “I don’t know,” the judge knew that meant yes.

“That’s just Bill,” Cox said of the former Lawrence County district attorney.

The judge told his secretary to call 911 and told Panella to loosen his tie.

A couple of sheriff’s deputies arrived, followed closely by the New Castle Fire Department, then a Medevac ambulance.

The department sent three firemen and Cox noted he was “really impressed with them” as they gave Panella oxygen, took his blood pressure and gathered his medical history.

“They worked as a team,” Cox said, “they were really impressive.”

New Castle Fire Chief Tom Bulisco said the three were Mark Panella, the assistant chief on duty yesterday, and paramedic-firemen Mike Kobbe and Rich Johnson.

He noted the department has been upgrading and now has six firefighters trained as paramedics.

While Panella was being tended to by the ambulance crew — another group Cox said was “very impressive to watch” — Cox had his secretary track down Judge Thomas Piccione.

His daughter Elizabeth is a cardiologist. She wasn’t working yesterday, but she called her partner, Paul Wawrzynski, who was at Jameson Hospital, and had him on standby there.

Another lucky break for Panella, Cox said, was the day of the week.

On Tuesdays and Fridays, a team from Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh is at Jameson doing catheterizations and related procedures, a program that has been in place since 2004.

Almost immediately, Panella, a candidate for New Castle City Council, had a catheterization, an angioplasty and stents put into his heart, Cox said.

“I ran up over lunchtime,” he continued, “and by 12:30 he had already had that work done. He was in the hallway and on his way to the (intensive care unit.)”

Not only was Panella awake and talking, Cox noted, but he was talking shop.

He said Panella, who has been a lawyer for about 30 years, was telling his daughter to call his secretary and was outlining the typing and other work he wanted her to do.

“He’s going to be fine,” Cox said.

The judge — who admitted “it was a little nerve-wracking this morning” — said he was feeling better yesterday afternoon.

“It was scary,” Cox said, adding he was glad the incident had happened the way it had, and not when Panella was alone or somewhere he might not have gotten help as quickly as he did.

President Judge Dominick Motto, on a break from a case he was hearing yesterday, agreed.

“I’m gratified this happened somewhere he could get the attention and help he needed.”

Motto said he had been told the emergency personnel responded quickly. “I’m happy he had good attention to his medical needs.”

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