Nothing about Walnut Creek real estate lawyer Bob Merritt’s rigorous exercise regimen—hiking the Stanislaus National Forest as a volunteer Wilderness Ranger, biking 20 miles round-trip to work, jogging, swimming, weightlifting—gives any indication he’s had serious heart problems.

Merritt, 62, had triple bypass surgery in 1998. Since then, he’s undergone numerous cardiac procedures and trial runs with medications before finding the right combination to correct the arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) that surfaced after the bypass and caused him two subsequent mini-strokes.

What’s his secret to recovery? Merritt credits his early diagnosis (before he suffered a heart attack), his high-tech treatment at Alta Bates, his physicians—and of course, staying super-active. “I really got excellent care. The equipment is first-level, and the doctors are able to do so much because of the technology,” says Merritt. “I feel better now than I have in a long time. I like to push myself physically, and I get a lot of encouragement from my doctors.”

Dr. Eisenberg, Merritt’s electrophysiologist, concurs with her prize patient’s assessment, but also gives kudos to Alta Bates Summit Foundation. She says Foundation support has enabled key equipment purchases in cardiology, including a $250,000 computerized 3-D mapping system used in Merritt’s treatment. “This equipment has changed how we do electrophysiology and lets us approach cases we would never have touched before,” says Dr. Eisenberg. “We owe the Foundation an enormous debt.”