Hospitals

The man athenahealth’s CEO tried to save at J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference died

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner declined to give a cause of death pending the outcome of additional tests.

jonathan bush w heart attack victimAn inspiring story from the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference has a sad ending. A man who had collapsed in front of Walgreens on Mission Street and who athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush attempted to revive later died, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for San Francisco.

The man was identified as Robert Green of San Francisco and was 49 years old, according to Christopher Wirowek, the Deputy Director Medical Examiner Administrator. He died on January 12 and Green’s family was notified.

Bush’s efforts to try to resuscitate the man garnered attention during the conference and highlighted the need to step in and try to help people in distress, rather than stand around awkwardly or turn to social media.

Bush, who once worked as an emergency medical technician in New Orleans, recalled the event at the StartUp Health Festival in a fireside chat. He encountered the man, later identified as Green, face down surrounded by onlookers as he came out of Walgreens. Bush said with the help of construction workers he turned Green over and administered CPR to help resuscitate him. The paramedics arrived a few minutes later.

In a phone conversation, Wirowek declined to give a cause of death because the Medical Examiner’s Office had not yet published a final report pending the outcome of additional tests. It is against policy to make preliminary findings public. Wirowek said the Medical Examiner had ordered additional tests in part to determine whether Green died of natural causes or whether alcohol or drug abuse was involved.

“We need to assess the totality of the circumstances,” Wirowek said.

Photo: Big Stock Photo

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