Here's a note sent to Jeff Liebman, CEO of our affiliated community hospital in Needham -- a very small hospital with a great ED and a big heart. We currently have plans to expand the emergency room because of the growth in demand we have seen and are projecting in Needham and the surrounding towns. (By the way, use of the ED in this hospital helps relieve pressure on crowded ED's downtown.)
Dear Jeff:
Unfortunately, I had the opportunity to spend another evening in the Emergency Department. Fortunately, it was at Beth Israel Deaconess - Needham!!!
At about 8:30 P.M. on Monday evening, my mother (85 years old & living alone in her home in Newton) tried to avoid/swat a bee in her kitchen, lost her balance, fell backwards against the wall, and thought she had broken her wrist. I was at a business meeting in Hartford, CT with my brother when she called.
What does one do in a situation like that?
I called my sister-in-law and suggested that she bring my mother directly to BID~Needham.
Meanwhile, my brother and and I headed home immediately to help out in any way we could.
Jeff, by the time I arrived at the ED, there was nothing for me to do except watch Dr. U put a splint on my mom's broken wrist, listen to his clear instructions, suggestions and follow-up plan, hear some closing and encouraging remarks from both the doctor and the nurses, and take my mom home.
All of that in under two hours - unbelievable!!! My mother's comfort level was such that she was even counseling one of the nurses on her social life.
The ease, the smoothness, the speed, the attention to detail, the understanding, the clarity, and most of all the care - all were outstanding.
The team who treated my mother were all exceptional regarding not only her care but also their warm, informative approach to my mom, her situation and her condition.
Jeff, I do not want to spend any time in an ED, but if I must, the ED at BID~Needham is the place for me and my family. The entire staff could not have been more kind, compassionate and understanding.
I am sure you hear this often, but I wanted you to know what a great team you have and what a fine hospital you oversee.
Best personal regards,
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6 comments:
Well deserved praise of Jeff and how he runs BID-Needham. He's done an outstanding job turning the place around. Congratulations Jeff!
They've got a great team there and they all seem to share the same vision for the hospital and its patients.
We are all proud of our staff and the way they treat our patients. Our ED physicians and nursing staff are amongst the best in the nation. They do an incredible job in a less than ideal work environment.
We are very lucky to have a wonderful community that has consistently helped us as we have raised the level of care. Their support has been amazing and I know the satff at the hospital feels uplifted by the board and town's response to our need for a new facility. The town deserves (and will soon have) a new building where we can provide our patients with more privacy, nicer surroundings and a user friendly atmosphere.
Jeff Liebman
I also had a great experience with my Mom there at Needham approx 2 months ago…..she is 82 and took a pretty bad fall, broke her nose and wrist need to get it casted….here is the catch though….since she had hit her head so hard and was knocked out in the street with some recall problems, they were also worried about a bleed, so she needed an emergent CT scan. ……I called to see how the ED in Boston was doing and they were very busy and recommended BIDN….so I said SURE! We had an absolutely superb experience there…..the nurses, techs and physician were outstanding, and the CT radiology tech was wonderful….my Mom needed to have both head and neck CT and the MD and radiologists (in town) read the scan fairly quickly during a busy night and we were out of the ED in approx 3 hours or so….truly remarkable….My Mom received her splint for casting the next day, got great instructions and has healed beautifully…..so, kudos to the ED staff at Needham…..they were truly remarkable and as my Mom said on the way out….”What a gem this place is…..” I can’t agree any more….thanks to all
I am an avid reader of your blog. I am glad that you wrote about BID-Needham. My family member had been hospitalized there a number of times. I would like to express how happy I have always been with the care that she received while in the ED and also on South 2. Particularly I would like to mention the hospitalist team. I was not familiar with what a hospitalist was initially. However, one of the hospitalists gave my family member a brochure describing the whole team, spent time with us explaining their role in the hospital and provided excellent communication to my mother's primary care physician I was very impressed. Moreover, I was glad to see the same hospitalist when my mother got readmitted to the hospital. Throughout my mother's stay I was updated on her progress. It was remarkable that a hospitalist, someone who only has a brief amount of time to make a connection, was able to accomplish this so successfully. My mother was treated with respect, dignity and kindness by all the members of the physician and nursing team. Thank you for extending the care that you provide at BIDMC to your smaller hospital in Needham.
What a great letter - and it sounds like a good ER to work in, too.
Thanks for sharing it! I don't even work in the same state and it made me feel good! : )
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