Celebration of excellent care in Beebe Emergency Department
Part 1 of a 2-Part Series: In these articles, Wes and Michelle Rumble of Lewes share their story about the excellent care they received over the past couple of years in the Emergency Department at Beebe Healthcare.
Wes and Michelle Rumble met 22 years ago in Lewes, while taking lifelong learning classes. Prior to settling in Lewes, each had been busy enjoying life - living and traveling both domestically and abroad. Wes is originally from California, while Michelle is a Beebe Baby (someone born at Beebe) and former Rehoboth Beach summer worker who decided to return to her roots.
Neither had experienced any monumental health issues. Their emergency room visits had been few, peppered over the years, and all relatively minor. That all changed April 18, 2015. That evening, after many hours of serious abdominal discomfort, Wes had his wife call 911. After he arrived at Beebe's Emergency Department via ambulance, the doctors initially diagnosed Wes with diverticulitis. However, the physician ordered a CT scan to confirm. The results revealed something different, and the doctor promptly switched his opinion to acute appendicitis, informing Wes that a surgeon had already been called.
Wes was taken to surgery immediately, and stayed in the hospital for several days before he was discharged. Wes describes both his ED stay and his inpatient care as top notch; his needs were constantly attended to by staff who were attentive, caring and compassionate.
While Wes was still recovering from appendicitis, Michelle began having episodes of atrial fibrillation that led to a series of ED visits. Then on Oct. 3, 2015, Michelle suffered a stroke. As Wes tells the story, "I was looking over Michelle's shoulder as we were discussing something on her computer screen. She said something I didn't understand."
Wes asked, 'What did you say?' And, again, he could not understand - she was speaking gibberish. "Almost immediately I suspected a stroke," Wes said. Michelle knew something was wrong and got up, talking, but not making any sense. Wes brought her back to a chair to sit down. He then checked her face and arms for stroke signs as he called 911.
"Upon hearing me say 'stroke,' the 911 operator immediately transferred me to a medical specialist who guided me through diagnostic tests for the few minutes until the EMTs arrived. All of a sudden, there were three more people in the room with me - one continuing diagnostic tests with Michelle, one observing while preparing to transport her, and the third one asking me questions. Before I knew it, Michelle was on a stretcher and out the door, looking back at me with fear in her eyes," Wes said.
Wes quickly followed the ambulance to the hospital, but he had to wait to see her after her tests were completed. Wes was worried because he wanted to be with her to help her communicate. He was brought into the ED area and saw Michelle being propelled along the corridor by the EMT crew and then into a room. He soon discovered that the EMTs had taken Michelle to two imaging locations within Beebe. There would have been a long wait at the primary one, and the EMTs were unwilling to leave her, so they had taken her to the secondary location. Their decision not to leave Michelle waiting for imaging was critical. They knew she needed a diagnosis immediately.
While the routine ED tasks were being done, Wes called their children and noticed that Michelle's fear had subsided a bit.
However, as she struggled to communicate, she became tense and angry, frustrated with her inability to speak. Attempts by the ED doctor, the nurse and others to calm her had little effect. "I remember seeing the doctor and nurse talking briefly off to the side," Wes says, "then the nurse disappeared. When she returned, she had her arms full of little stuffed animals with Beebe T-shirts on them. She gently handed them to Michelle. Michelle immediately relaxed and a smile appeared on her face."
By the next morning, after working with her son and other family members, Michelle was able to name the frog and a few others!
"It was a brilliant idea by the ED nurse, Amanda Ragland," Wes said. "I will forever be thankful to her for thinking to use the stuffed animals, not only to dissipate the anger and frustration, but to help Michelle begin her speech therapy."
Wes was extremely grateful for the treatment Michelle got at Beebe's ED. "I cannot say enough about the care my wife received. All matters of consequence were carefully considered. Nothing was done automatically, yet what needed doing was done efficiently."
After a consultation with a neurologist, Dr. Christopher Kim, a hospital medicine physician who was stationed in the Emergency Department that day, decided that Michelle did not need the “clot-buster.”
"I remember talking to people afterwards who were surprised that the clot-buster was not prescribed. But I am glad it was not necessary and not used out of habit or blind procedure," Wes said.
Michelle agreed, saying that it was Dr. Kim's presence that kept her positive throughout her stay. "He was wonderful. He knew that I was making progress, he was involved but wasn't in the forefront, and I could tell he was keeping a good eye on me," Michelle said.
Two days later Michelle was working with therapists in her room when she mentioned some small, fleeting vision problems. Within minutes, she was on a stretcher and on her way to diagnostics because in some cases, vision problems could indicate continued or renewed bleeding. Her tests were negative and soon afterward, she was able to leave the hospital and return home under the care of Beebe Home Care Services. From there she was discharged to begin her outpatient speech therapy. However, more ED visits followed as Michelle's atrial fibrillation continued to occur.
"It is unusual to be cared for by the same ED personnel on repeated visits," Wes says, "however, no matter who was on duty, they were indistinguishable in their obvious concern for the patient and for the patient's well-being."
Dr. Georges Dahr, cardiologist, was instrumental in Michelle's treatment; he had treated Michelle for a heart attack in 2010 and now again in 2015 for her stroke.
"He was so patient and spent an extraordinary amount of time with us and with our daughter who is a physical therapist and had at least a million questions," Wes said. "Dr. Dahr answered them all. He never made us feel like we were bothering him. He makes you feel very special. On several occasions, we had to call him in the evening and there was never a problem with that. He would respond quickly to our calls. He just makes you feel so cared for."
Eventually, Dr. Dahr recommended that Michelle consider an ablation for the atrial fibrillation. She decided to do that, and following a cryo-ablation in January of 2016, her AFib, and ED visits, stopped.
With numerous visits to the Emergency Department in 2015, and with the resolution of Michelle's AFib in early 2016, Michelle and Wes thought their serious ED visits were all behind them, however in December 2016, Wes found himself back in the ED three more times.
Continue to follow Wes and Michelle's story in the May 30 issue of the Cape Gazette.
Each year, the Beebe Medical Foundation hosts the biggest party of the summer, the Beebe Beach Bash! Beebe's guests will take over a docked Cape May Lewes Ferry to enjoy The Fabulous Greaseband, dancing, dining, auctions and boardwalk games! This year's Beach Bash will raise funds for Beebe Healthcare's Emergency Department. If you or your loved ones have been cared for by the Beebe Heroes in the ED, we hope you'll join us at the BASH! Beebe is committed to providing quality care for patients, and this event will allow the organization to offer the most advanced technology to save and change lives. For more information on how to join in the fun, go to www.beebemedicalfoundation.org.
Part 2: Celebration of Excellent Care in the Beebe Emergency Department
