In honor of national EMS (Emergency Medical Services) appreciation week, Lakeview Regional Medical Center hosted another “Great Save” Event, which took place on May 22 in the Pelican Room in the Main Hospital Building.
Lakeview Regional Medical Center hosts the Great Save events to recognize the dedication of EMS providers, as well as police officers and firefighters, who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services in the community. “This particular Great Save event gives us a unique perspective on our emergency care,” states Bret Kolman, Lakeview Regional Chief Executive Officer. “Through the eyes of one of our own, we see just how important the communication between our first responders, physicians and our Emergency Room staff is in our shared efforts to save lives.”
Two different patients were be reunited with their emergency responders at this event, including a patient who is employed as a long-time Emergency Room nurse who was brought in with a life threatening condition shortly after working a shift.
Lakeview Regional will recognize the team from St. Tammany Fire District 4, who responded to a Mandeville resident in the early hours of March 31. The resident awoke with what he thought was another bout of acid reflux, took some antacid, and sat in his recliner. Minutes later, his wife found him not breathing and pulseless. After calling 911, she tried to perform CPR, herself. Fire District 4 arrived within minutes and performed CPR for a total of 19 minutes before her husband finally responded. He was transported to Lakeview Regional Medical Center, and was diagnosed with 100% blockage of the artery best known as the “widow maker.” Following treatment, the patient was discharged from Lakeview Regional, and is doing well at home. He and his wife are looking forward to recognizing the efforts of the first responders that assisted him in his time of need.
In the second Great Save to be celebrated at this event, first responders Paramedic Brett Bosarge and EMT April Corrales from Acadian Ambulance triaged a life-threatening situation involving a Lakeview Regional emergency room nurse on March 15 of this year. “When we arrived on the scene and saw who the patient was, we knew it was serious. ER nurses are a tough bunch, so seeing the condition nurse Peggy was in, I knew immediately we had a serious situation on hand,” states Bosarge. As word reached the hospital, Doctors Greg Benton and Chad Muntan were awaiting her arrival, and had already contacted the on-call surgeons in several specialties in anticipation of what the diagnosis might be. “The paramedic called us on the way in, and stated that Miss Peggy had no feeling in her legs, so we thought she may have fallen, but we also knew she was just a few weeks out from her hip surgery so blood clots were still a possibility,” says Dr. Chad Muntan, lead physician for Lakeview Regional’s ER. Upon arrival, the doctors diagnosed a dissecting aortic aneurysm, a life-threatening condition that comes without warning, and involves a tear in the inner lining of the aorta. Peggy became a patient in the ER where she had been on the clock just a few hours before, and she was rushed to emergency surgery. By all accounts, the prognosis for Peggy was poor; however, cardiothoracic surgeons Dr. Louis Hebert and Dr. John Breaux were able to repair the tear, and restore blood flow to her body. “We were extremely lucky that both Dr. Hebert and Dr. Breaux were in-house when this happened. Otherwise Peggy would not have had a chance. It was the silver lining of the Heart Hospital closure for one of our own because while we always have emergency coverage for these types of events, we actually had two hands available that day.” Peggy is excited to be reunited with her care team and co-workers at the Great Save event.
Great Save events continue to take place on a regular basis at Lakeview Regional Medical Center, and offer a chance for reunions between patients and first responders, as well as the entire medical team.