Let me start off by thanking the Emergency Room physician @ MIOSH, Dr. Bali, for saving my life on Thursday, October 7, 2004.  Without his expertise and quick response I would not be here today.

I had been given a medication by my primary care physician which sent me into respiratory failure as I was driving home on I-75.  Fortunately, I had someone with me at the time and I was able to pull over and have her drive me to the hospital.  I was instructed by my doctor to go to Troy Beaumont, but as I was at Rochester Road and I-75 and unable to breathe, I came to the MIOSH Emergency Department.  Karen, (the Emergency Department nurse) came out to the car to get me and brought me into the ED.  Within seconds, Dr. Bali was able to pull up the information on the medication, learning that it causes respiratory failure in patients with myasthenia gravis. I was told that they were going to intubate me to help me breathe and then transport me to Beaumont Royal Oak for admission.  I was then stabilized, intubated and transported by ambulance to Detroit Receiving Hospital.  Apparently, Beaumont refused my admission.

I arrived at Detroit Receiving Hospital Emergency Department and was admitted. The nursing staff on the ICU were wonderful.  I had different departments (hematology, neurology, pulmonology and internal medicine) coming in my room at all hours and everyone was wonderful…they kept my family members, who were there 24 hours a day, around the clock, informed and updated about my care.  There was nothing that I needed or asked for, that was not provided for me.  My nursing care was fabulous.  My time spent in the ICU, is still much of a blur, but I know I felt safe and that everything was going to be okay.  I was transferred to 5P on Monday, 10-11-04, for the remainder of my hospitalization.  Raquel, Trudy, Kam, and Julia were my nurses.  They brought me whatever I wanted.  It was like I was queen for a day.  When I was discharged on 10-14-04, I was given a comment card to critique my care.

Well, let me tell you…my care was FABULOUS!

I am thankful that Beaumont refused my admission, as I am certain that if I had been taken to Beaumont Hospital my care, recuperation and recovery would not have been as quick or as complete.

Again, KUDOS to the staff at MIOSH and Detroit Receiving Hospital!

Janet Chambers

My spouse Nancy was recently one of your surgery patients. I know she was fully satisfied with your services, pre-admission and testing, pre-op....etc. Everyone there made her feel so comfortable. The entire staff gave so much confidence to the both of us, before and after... it relieved all the stress. After surgery, I witnessed the same in post op. Due to the fact that she "remembers nothing" in post op, I feel like I was the customer from that point on. They answered all my concerns and would not let us leave until they felt confident about both of us.

No one ever wants to be a surgical patient, however, if one must be, yours is the place to be.