Former President Bill Clinton was hospitalized onDecember 23, at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, after developing a fever, his spokesman confirmed to CNN. He is undergoing testing and observation but remains “awake and alert,” according to an aide.
“The president is fine,” Angel Urena, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, said, adding that Clinton is hopeful to return home by Christmas. “He remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he is receiving.”
News of Clinton’s hospitalization spread swiftly through his wide-reaching network of allies. A longtime associate emphasized that his condition was “not urgent or dire by any means.”
Clinton was at his Washington residence when his condition prompted medical evaluation. He is expected to stay in the hospital at least overnight for further monitoring.
This hospitalization follows a history of significant medical challenges for the 42nd president. In 2004, Clinton underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York after doctors discovered life-threatening blockages in his arteries.
Led by Dr. Craig R. Smith, the four-hour procedure rerouted blood flow around four arteries that were over 90% blocked. “There was a substantial likelihood that he would have had a substantial heart attack in the near future,” said Dr. Allan Schwartz, the hospital’s chief of cardiology, at a press conference after the surgery.
The operation required Clinton’s heart to be stopped while a heart-lung machine took over for 73 minutes. Schwartz explained that Clinton attributed his symptoms — mild chest constrictions and shortness of breath — to acid reflux and a lack of exercise, thinking they were “not significant.”
