First patient at new Parkland thanks hospital, staff, paramedics
Ambulance brings stroke patient to new ER at historic moment
Michael Jones, a 70-year-old Farmers Branch dentist, arrived at the ambulance bay at the new Parkland Memorial Hospital at 6 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20, before the sun came up and moments after cloths draping entry signs outside the just-opened Emergency Department were removed.
Becoming a part of Dallas County history as the brand new ED’s first patient wasn’t how Dr. Jones planned to spend his morning. But when he awoke to his usual 5:30 a.m. alarm to start getting ready for work, he knew something wasn’t right.
“I had the sensation that my right foot slipped, but what actually happened was my whole left side collapsed and I fell as I walked into the bathroom,” Dr. Jones said. “My wife Becky heard me fall and came running. She said, ‘Mike, your speech is slurred. I think you’ve had a stroke.’ She gave me an aspirin, called 911 and the Farmers Branch Fire Department paramedics arrived just a few minutes later.”
When asked where they wanted to go for treatment, Dr. Jones’s wife answered immediately: “The new Parkland Hospital.”
“We knew they have a top quality stroke unit at Parkland, plus we had heard about the amazing technology at the new facility. I knew it would be the best place for my husband,” she said.
Fortunately, the Farmers Branch paramedics also knew about the opening of new Parkland.
“They said they had wondered whether they would transport anyone to the new hospital on its first day open,” Dr. Jones said. “But none of us expected to be the very first to arrive there. Lucky for me, they had practiced the route and we got there quickly.”
“The media had cameras set up outside the ER watching for the very first patient to arrive,” Mrs. Jones recalled. She followed the ambulance in her car during the 20-minute ride.
Over the course of the next 36 hours, Dr. Jones got a soup-to-nuts tour of the sparkling new facility on its first day of operations. At each step, he said, the care was “phenomenal.”
“The paramedics had radioed ahead that they were bringing a possible stroke patient and the ER team was ready for me,” he said. “I was totally impressed with the physicians and nurses. And they were so kind to my wife and took good care of her while I was being evaluated.”
Next stop for Dr. Jones was the Imaging Department on new Parkland’s second floor, located just above the ED in the massive 2.1-million-square-foot facility. The very first patient to have a CT scan and an MRI in the hospital, he then returned to the ER for a consult with specialists in stroke treatment, Mark Goldberg, MD, a Parkland neurologist and Chairman of Neurology at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and John Barr, MD, Chief Radiology Officer at Parkland.
“Dr. Goldberg and Dr. Barr did an outstanding job, even bringing up my CT scan on a monitor in the ER exam room for me to see,” Dr. Jones said. “The technology was amazing.”
The doctors were able to enlarge the image and show Dr. and Mrs. Jones exactly what was happening. The images revealed a small clot in the brain and the physicians were optimistic it would be absorbed and not require removal, although Dr. Barr, an interventional neuroradiologist, was ready to retrieve the clot if necessary.
“Strokes are brain attacks, so every minute counts” said Dr. Goldberg. “Dr. Jones received state-of-the-art care with a team that was extremely well prepared, right from the start.”
Dr. Jones was admitted to the hospital for further evaluation and marveled at the efficiency and attentiveness of all the staff, even on the hospital’s first day of operations and in the midst of transitioning more than 600 patients across the street from the old Parkland.
“It was fantastic,” he said. “From the ER to radiology and neurology, the nurses, doctors and therapists – everyone worked hand-in-hand to provide exceptional care. I was just amazed they were so ready right at the opening bell. It’s obvious Parkland had done a lot of preparations and dry runs to make it efficient and ready to go from the moment the doors opened.”
Dr. Jones was discharged from Parkland the following day, has made a full recovery and is already back to work, he said. He credits his wife for recognizing the warning signs of stroke and taking quick action. He sent a letter to Parkland’s President and CEO, Dr. Fred Cerise, commending the “outstanding” care provided at the new hospital.
And he is planning to present a plaque to the Farmers Branch paramedics to commemorate their participation as the first ambulance at the new Parkland and thank them for providing such prompt medical attention.
“The care I got at Parkland was worth the ride, for sure,” Dr. Jones concluded. “I’m a lucky man.”
To learn more about the warning signs of stroke, please visit www.strokeassociation.org. To learn more about the new Parkland hospital, visit www.parklandhospital.com.
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