Ron Wastier knows a lot about the heart, having had a number of cardiac procedures over the years. When Ron’s cardiologist retired, he was referred to Dr. Vincent Reyes, a community doctor with hospital privileges at OHSU Tuality Healthcare.
Ron has spent a lot of time in hospitals as a patient. He believed they were all pretty much the same, but something was noticeably different about Tuality. Ron was overwhelmed by the kindness, care, and communication he received from Tuality caregivers. “They (his medical care team) told me what was going to happen and what to expect. The communication here is the key.” At Tuality, the medical staff not only took great care of him, he noted, but of his family too.
Ron recalled a visit to Tuality’s Emergency Department (ED). He decided he was well enough to go home and left the hospital, even though the ED doctor, Dr. Garcia, advised against it. The next morning, Ron’s primary doctor reached him and told him to get back to Tuality. Dr. Garcia had contacted Ron’s primary doctor the night before to tell him about his concern for Ron. Ron was touched that Dr. Garcia made the extra effort to make sure he was alright.
Ron continues to receive care at Tuality Cardiac Rehabilitation. Recently, he experienced leg pain while walking on the treadmill. His therapist, Barb, noticed and recommended he get checked out, just in case. It turned out that blood clots were forming in his legs. He returned to the hospital to have stents (small mesh tubes) inserted into his legs.
Ron takes a little better care of his body these days including regular check-ups. He feels safe and secure when he comes to Tuality, so much so that his blood pressure actually drops because he knows he’s in caring and competent hands.
Ron feels he owes a debt to Tuality caregivers. By sharing his story, he hopes to encourage other people to choose Tuality because their medical staff have “hearts of gold”. Take it from someone who knows a lot about heart.
Writer: Sara Fisher, Tuality Healthcare Foundation
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