17°
Smith began to feel ill Saturday after speaking at a fundraising event in Patterson to benefit the family of recently deceased Sheriff's Senior Investigator Mark Gilmore and for Deputy Sheriff Michael Schmidt, who is battling cancer, McNamara said.
"After making remarks to persons gathered at the fundraiser, the sheriff was not feeling well, so he went to the emergency room at Putnam Hospital Center (PHC) on Saturday afternoon. He was admitted to PHC and stayed there overnight," McNamara said.
PHC doctors referred the sheriff to Yale-New Haven Hospital on Sunday and he was transported to that facility by ambulance. He was admitted to the Yale-New Haven Cardiac Intensive Care Unit on Sunday afternoon, and he remains in the Cardiac ICU at this time, he added.
"I spoke to the sheriff yesterday afternoon (Tuesday), and he was in very high spirits. He expressed to me his deep gratitude for what he described as 'the outstanding, professional and kind care' that he was given by the doctors, nurses and other staff of Putnam Hospital Center and was thankful for their referral to Yale-New Haven Hospital," McNamara said Wednesday morning.
He said the sheriff told him the hospital was "one of the best hospitals on the planet for the kind of specialized level of care" that he was receiving.
The sheriff added that the medical team at Yale-New Haven was "extremely skilled and caring" in his treatment.
McNamara said the sheriff told him that he and his doctors expect him to make a full and complete recovery to health and that he is looking forward to being back to work serving the people of Putnam County in a 100 percent capacity in the very near future.
"The sheriff also shared with me his sincere appreciation for all the people who have expressed concern and well-wishes for him," McNamara added.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Mahopac and receive free news updates.
