Celebration of Excellent Care in the Beebe Emergency Department

Part two of a two-part series: In this article, Wes and Michelle Rumble continue their story about the excellent care they received in the Emergency Department at Beebe Healthcare.

After numerous visits to the Emergency Department in 2015, and with the resolution of Michelle's atrial fibrillation in early 2016, Michelle and Wes Rumble thought their serious ED visits were all behind them. However, during the month of December 2016, Wes blitzed the ED with three more trips! Read his story below.

Trip one: "On the evening of Dec. 15, 2016, I was taking my pills as I usually do," Wes says, "but this time, I choked on them and could not breathe." As his wife, Michelle, was calling 911, Wes was able to cough the pills loose and breathe a little before they again blocked his breathing. This sequence happened several times. "By now I had a severe burning sensation in my upper chest and a lot of congestion," Wes describes. The EMTs arrived quickly and took Wes to the ED where the doctor prescribed a breathing treatment. "The physician listened carefully to my description of the experience and agreed with me that the sensations and congestion were likely due to one of the capsules dissolving and spreading herbs and fish oil into my lungs; the congestion and coughing felt much like bronchitis." After a brief stay in the ED, Wes was sent home feeling somewhat more comfortable.

Trip two: Wes' symptoms eased for a few days but then worsened; definitely a bad case of bronchitis, he thought. "My primary care doctor prescribed medications; however, by Christmas Day I was feeling so bad and experiencing so much pain from coughing that I could not completely suppress, that I asked Michelle to take me back to the ED."

In the ED, Wes was given a shot of morphine but had a reaction. He remembers opening his eyes to see a room full of people; Dr. Joydeep Haldar peering at him from only two feet away, and other Beebe staff working with the equipment attached to him. "I could hear one of them asking questions of Michelle, so for some unknown reason I said, 'Whatever my wife says is probably correct’; everyone around me laughed, which surprised me as I didn't think it was that funny."

What Wes didn't know at the time was that he had passed out, his vital signs had dropped and he had been administered naloxone to reverse the effects of the morphine. "Later," Wes said, "it occurred to me that the laughter I'd heard sounded more like a relief of tension rather than a response to humor, which made sense in the circumstances. But I was, and still am surprised at how rapidly that room had filled with people. After some observation time, I was released with prescriptions to fill and orders to rest."

Trip three: The next evening, Wes' coughing had begun to generate pain in the front of his rib cage to the point that he couldn't stand on his feet at times, and could not bend enough to sit. Again 911 was called - pain in the chest is not to be ignored. So back to the ED and into a cardiac room for testing and observation. The doctor on duty was again Dr. Haldar, who was extremely cautious with further medications. They tried different drugs but made him stay until they were sure he was not reacting negatively to the medication. Eventually, Dr. Haldar settled on a hydrocodone combination and sent Wes home after a period of observation.

"Over the course of the three ED visits," Wes said, "what impressed me the most was the time and consideration given to me and my situation. I never felt that what was being done was just procedure. Of course it was, but it felt personal, from EMTs to nurses to imaging specialists to doctors, everyone made me feel so special."

Michelle and Wes agree, saying, "All of our experiences with the ED and the staff were excellent. We are impressed about how the ED staff followed their procedures, but at the same time, the care we received was very personalized."

"The entire staff was extremely responsive, and understanding," Wes adds. The Rumbles' experiences in Beebe's ED were all top-notch. "The staff listens, they respond quickly and effectively, they do their job, and they make you feel like you're part of their family. They truly care about you as a person and how you feel."

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 June 3 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 1: Celebration of excellent care in Beebe Emergency Department