Maurice Johnson has dedicated his professional life to public service.

After four years of military service with the U.S. Army, Maurice worked for the Starkville Police Department and then the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics’ Tupelo District. He spent 16 years as an investigator with the District Attorney’s office of the 16th Judicial District covering Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and Noxubee counties. In 2023, he was named Chief Deputy with the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department.

One might say that helping others is what makes Maurice tick. Fortunately, the 56-year-old Starkville resident realized he had to take care of himself in order to continue serving others.

Turning Point

In 2017, Maurice was diagnosed with diabetes, and because of the associated concerns, he began to pay closer attention to his health. As the years passed, he noticed a concerning trend among his peers. “More and more people around my age started having heart problems, and some of them died,” he said.

Last fall, Maurice decided it was time to have a heart screening at Cardiology Associates of North Mississippi, and he encouraged a buddy to do it, too. “He got his test results right away, and he called to see if I had gotten mine,” he said. “His results were good, but I still hadn’t gotten mine, which worried me.”

Turns out, Maurice’s concerns were justified. His screening revealed a high calcium score, which is a significant indicator of potential heart issues. Cardiac catheterization at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo revealed four blocked arteries to his heart.

In Good Hands

He was referred to cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Vishal Sachdev for quadruple bypass surgery. While the news was daunting, Maurice was confident he was in capable hands.

“I didn’t flinch because I knew the severity of it,” he said. “Dr. Sachdev explained everything to me very well. It’s a serious procedure, but I wasn’t as worried about it because they do so many of them there.”

Maurice’s family rallied around him. They were prepared to provide around-the-clock care for as long as he needed, but, surprisingly, he didn’t have to lean on them as much as anticipated.

“I woke up and knew immediately that the surgery had gone well,” he reflected. “The Cardiac Rehab team had me up and walking quickly.” Four days later, Maurice was discharged home, where he continued making great strides. Before long, he was back on the job, where he loves to be.

“I feel a whole lot better than I did before surgery,” he said. “I hadn’t noticed that things weren’t right because my body had just adjusted to getting less oxygen. But I breathe a whole lot better now.”

Encouraging Others

Maurice says he is “100% glad” he did the screening and now he advocates for others to do the same. “The process works. If you get a good report, then you’ve got the peace of mind that you are heart healthy,” he said. “And if the screening turns up problems, well then, you can get them fixed.”

Maurice’s own near miss has sparked a different type of public service. “I’ve been telling everybody to get checked,” he said, “You don’t know what you don’t know.”