Collaborative Care Makes the Difference – and Saves a Life
Bennie Hoskins knew something was wrong – something major. He was drifting off to sleep when an abrupt jolt jerked him from relaxation. “All of a sudden it felt like somebody dropped a bomb on my chest,” he recalls. Bennie suffered a heart attack.
He woke up his wife, Tracey, a charge nurse at Good Samaritan Western Ridge, who immediately dialed 911.
When the paramedics arrived, they suggested taking Bennie to another nearby hospital, but Tracey insisted they take him to TriHealth.
She hopped in her car and drove to Good Samaritan Western Ridge, where the paramedics took Bennie to stabilize him. From there, they flew him by helicopter to Good Samaritan Hospital and cardiologist Craig Sukin MD inserted a stent, a tiny tube placed into an artery or blood vessel to restore blood flow.
Throughout the rest of the day, Bennie's heart rate dropped a few times and he continued having chest pain and indigestion. Early the next morning he was referred for an angiogram, which showed that a blood clot had developed, so Dr. Sukin inserted another stent.
Efficient, Streamlined Communication Puts Bennie and Tracey at Ease
“All day long, the cardiologist was in and out checking on him – adjusting things, giving him more medication, drawing labs,” Tracey explains. “I think the nurses in CCU [Critical Care Unit] did so well with being attentive to him.”
Tracey appreciated how much Bennie’s care team collaborated to streamline communication and keep his primary care physician, Geoffrey Rose MD of Queen City Physicians – Western Ridge Internal Medicine, informed throughout his recovery. “There was a lot of collaboration with his personal doctor, which was great,” she says.
Bennie, on the other hand, recalls how thankful he was that Good Samaritan was so accommodating with letting his family – especially his grandkids – visit during his three-day stay in CCU. “Being able to see them helped me a lot. That was the bright spot of the days.”
A Positive Outlook: Moving Forward
Bennie is now at home and “feeling good,” with a few sessions of the TriHealth Heart Institute’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program under his belt. As someone who is used to being active and independent, he appreciates the freedom he has during exercise. “You learn how to do it yourself. They monitor you, but they also want you to be part of the rehab.”
Tracey reflects on the reassurance she felt with TriHealth during that scary night in June. “Once I got to Western Ridge, I then had a comfort about me. They knew what to do and how to handle it. I trusted the doctors and nurses . . . And the same way at Good Sam, I never had a doubt the whole time.”