August 2026
Physician Assistant at UM Health-Sparrow Charlotte, named August Team Member Spotlight
A woman walked into the UM Health-Sparrow Charlotte Urgent Care with what she thought was a run-of-the-mill cold. She left with a referral that would save her life.
That outcome, however, wasn't clear until months later when she returned to the clinic, not as a patient, but as a grateful visitor asking to speak with David Vandebunte, a Physician Assistant and the subject of August's Team Member Spotlight.
"She lit up and she was like, 'You saved my life,'" Vandebunte recalled. "I said, 'Wait, how?'"
The woman explained that during her visit for cold-like symptoms, Vandebunte had asked a simple but critical question: Had she always had a heart murmur? Vandebunte encouraged her to follow up with UM Health-Sparrow Heart and Vascular, a suggestion that proved pivotal.
Tests revealed several serious and potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions. The woman underwent a triple bypass and received additional treatment.
She returned to the clinic not for an appointment, but to thank Vandebunte in person. She hugged him and credited him with recognizing something that needed further attention.
For Vandebunte, the encounter was a humbling reminder of why he chose this field. He said the work has always felt like more than just a job.
"This is more a calling than just a career or a job," he said. "I always done that with patient care. I come in on a daily basis with a positive attitude, knowing that as a calling we are making a difference. Even when we don't feel like it."
The Team Member Spotlight recognizes team members who exemplify the health system’s core values of compassion, dedication, and professionalism in service to patients and colleagues.