Retired Crown Point deputy police chief says $49 heart scan saved his life

Bill Babjak was always the picture of perfect health, from his time as a high school athlete to his extensive career in public service.

Babjak joined the U.S. Army after graduating from high school, then served for 32 years as a Crown Point police officer. He retired as deputy chief in 2005 and later worked for the Department of Homeland Security’s Indiana division. He rounded out his career by serving as Public Health Coordinator for the Lake County Health Department.

He was always proactive about routine screenings and exams and all of his labs, including cholesterol levels, always came back normal. When he and his wife of 52 years, Bette, scheduled $49 heart scans at Franciscan Health Crown Point in December 2024 after seeing an ad, they expected the results would reflect his healthy lifestyle.

“I worked out,” the Crown Point man said. “I had no problems, no symptoms. I just decided to have the heart scan done because I was over 70.”

The scans, which cost $49 out of pocket, measure coronary calcium via a 10-minute, noninvasive, high-speed CT test that — when coupled with information on age, family history, and cholesterol levels — produces a report that helps determine coronary health and heart disease risk. The scans are recommended for those over the age of 40 with one or more of the following risk factors: current or former smokers, diabetes, family history of heart disease, abnormal cholesterol levels or high blood pressure.

After having the $49 scan, Babjak learned his coronary calcium score was 3600. Anything higher than 400, he was told, was dangerous.

He was quickly referred to a cardiologist, who scheduled him for an angiogram. 

“Halfway through, he said, ‘You’re going to have to have open heart surgery,’” Babjak said.

Babjak met with an interventional cardiologist a few days later, where he learned he was in heart failure and had about six months to live unless he had heart surgery.

“I think I totally went blank,” Babjak said. “It’s good my wife and my son were there because they heard things that I didn’t hear.”

The day after Christmas 2024, Babjak underwent six-hour open-heart surgery at Franciscan Health Crown Point, just over two weeks after having his initial heart scan.

“The surgical team was outstanding and then more than anything, the post-op team in ICU was great and I thought I was well taken care of,” Babjak said. “When I got out of surgery and started rehab, I was at the point where I couldn’t walk 15 steps without stopping and having to breathe and I thought that was really unusual but everybody assured me it’s going to take a while.”

Now he regularly goes about 2.5 miles on the treadmill.

“Franciscan Health Cardiology was just fantastic during the whole process,” Babjak said. “I knew how good this hospital was, how good this system was, but I got to see it firsthand with this process.”

Babjak has a long history with Franciscan Health Crown Point and the former St. Anthony Hospital on Main Street. The hospital was just being built on Main Street when he started on the police department. He worked security there as a second job while on the police force. His son, Scott, was one of the first 100 babies born there. His daughter, Angie, and all four of his grandsons were born there, too.

“St. Anthony’s has always been in my heart, whether it’s been my good heart or bad heart,” he said with a laugh. “It’s always been with me.”

Babjak said he is thankful for the $49 screening and the care he received through Franciscan.

“The whole reason I’m here is because I got screened,” Babjak said. “I should have been gone June of 2025 … I’m thankful every day about the whole process because with the odds and everything, it just never would have happened without the scan.”

Hear Bill Babjak describe his experience in his own words in this video on YouTube:

More information about locations in Crown Point, Dyer and Munster offering the $49 scan and scheduling is available online at https://www.franciscanhealth.org/conditions-and-services/heart-care/heart-scan.