Patient Stories

“From time to time, I hear a story of a couple who were able to have a baby because of the work of Dr. Van Voorhis,” says Elizabeth Rich. “Every time, it takes me back to our story and I feel so grateful.”

After Gretchen McLain suffered a devastating spine fracture, she made it her mission to complete RAGBRAI the following year. With a year of rehab, learning how to walk again, and plenty of training, McLain reached her goal.

Brooklyn Wexell, a 23-year-old teacher from Cambridge, Illinois, didn’t want to have surgery. But when Evgeny Arshava, MD, FACS, a cardiothoracic surgeon at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, told her he could perform the potentially life-changing surgery through very small incisions in her chest using a robot – which would minimize both pain levels and scarring – she changed her mind.

“I told Dr. Willey I had a goal to get back to dance, do track, and play softball. He was great to me. He told me if I followed his orders, I would get back and do those.”