Dave, Hillsdale Hospital Patient
Dave, a Hanover-Horton resident, had a shoulder replacement at the end of December. Shortly after returning home to recover, he began to feel sick.
“It was very scary,” Dave said. “I couldn’t breathe, my blood pressure dropped to very, very low levels. I thought I was going to pass out.”
Concerned about a possible infection, Dave and his wife went to an emergency room in Jackson, but would have to wait for hours before he could be seen.
“We made a bad move. Let’s go to Hillsdale,” Dave said when he saw the wait time.
From the moment he checked in to Hillsdale Hospital’s emergency room, Dave was shocked at the difference from his experience in Jackson. After triage, he was quickly brought back to an examination room and seen by a provider.
“My wife and I just felt so much more at ease, and I felt cared for, as though my condition was the number one priority,” Dave said.
After assessing his vitals and symptoms, Dave’s provider requested an X-Ray to determine the underlying issue. Because of the sling on Dave’s arm from his recent shoulder replacement, fitting in the X-Ray machine proved more challenging than usual. The radiology staff adjusted his position carefully, ensuring that Dave felt comfortable while receiving the scan he needed for proper treatment.
Dave’s provider diagnosed him with pneumonia and recommended that he spend the night in the medical/surgical unit. Once transferred and situated in his new room, Dave was amazed at how responsive and empathetic the med/surg team was to his condition.
“The nurses and doctor on that floor were nothing short of wonderful,” he said.
Dave’s care team communicated with him every step of the way, ensuring he was never confused about the next steps in his care journey.
“I knew what to expect and what they were going to do to help my condition, which is always important because there’s a lot of anxiety when you’re in the ER or being admitted to a hospital,” Dave said.
Dave was admitted to Hillsdale Hospital’s med/surg unit two days before Christmas, and it was important to him that he could return home before Christmas day.
“My team was focused on making sure I was home for the holidays, but they weren’t going to do it if it compromised my health,” Dave said.
Before Dave had the green light to go home, his team ensured he could safely go off oxygen, use the restroom independently and that his dietary concerns were addressed.
Dave’s doctor took the time to sit with him and his wife before discharge to discuss why he might have developed pneumonia so quickly after his surgery and what he could expect while recovering.
“Everything, all of the above, was really, really good,” Dave said.
Thanks to the timely efforts of Hillsdale Hospital’s ER, radiology and med/surg staff, Dave could safely heal from his surgery and his pneumonia at home.
“Hillsdale is, I think, head and shoulders above some of the larger healthcare systems,” Dave said.
