I thought I’d see demanding doctors yelling for scalpels and gauze all over the floor. After all, I’ve never missed an episode of Grey’s Anatomy!
Instead, my recent observation of pain management and surgery at Phelps Memorial Health Center painted quite a different picture. Here are just some of the things I learned…
Our Surgical Services team is a well-oiled machine. It all starts in Same Day Surgery days before a patient arrives with a pre-admission phone call. On the day of surgery, the same people that you spoke with on the phone are preparing you, joking with you, and answering all of your questions. They are also coordinating and introducing you to lab, anesthesia, surgeons, respiratory therapy, physical therapy, etc. Jill Hays, RN, serves patients in Same Day Surgery. She says, “Our department is special because we are a rural access hospital that offers many options so our patients do not have to travel so far. People enjoy coming to PMHC for surgery because they usually see a familiar face to put them at ease. My coworkers are the best of the best. It’s satisfying to go home each day and know that I made a difference in someone’s care.”
You’ll never see some of the best people caring for you. Once you hit the OR, the chances are you won’t be remembering much, but let me assure you, that group of people in the room works with great care and precision to offer the best care you can get. Everyone has their role, and they take it very seriously, while maintaining an atmosphere of collaboration and mutual support. The doctor gladly listened to and accepted feedback from others in the room, and took measures to ensure that they were doing the best thing for the patient, sometimes even making changes that would be more cost effective and just as good or better, on the fly! Alice Ann recently had surgery at Phelps Memorial. She’s also a retired employee who worked in the OR. She says, “If I need to have surgery, my first choice will always be PMHC. I know how they treat their patients. I know about all the little extras that they do for them.”
Alice Ann is not alone. In 2018, more than sixteen hundred procedures were completed at PMHC.
No matter the job title, everyone is essential. It starts with our environmental services team and central sterile techs who make sure that the room and all equipment is ready for a successful operation. Once surgery starts, the surgical technologist, anesthesia, radiology, nursing staff and surgeon are among the many people focusing on nothing but the patient! Dr. Henry Fabian, Phelps Memorial Spine Surgeon and US Men’s Alpine Ski Team Physician says, “I would compare Phelps Memorial Health Center in regards to it’s surgical outcomes with any place in the country. When I originally started rural spine care the thought was that I would bring a surgical team with me. What I didn’t count on was the amount of civic and community pride there would be here in Holdrege. The surgical team here surpasses anything I’ve had in any of the hospitals I’ve ever worked in.”
The Surgical Services team at Phelps Memorial Health Center – another example of the exceptional quality that makes us just right for you!
