Letter to Park NicolletDear Park Nicollet, I am so pleased with my decision to use Park Nicollet for gastric bypass surgery. I appreciate the professional and dedicated care, especially the wonderful staff of nurses who took such good care of me after surgery. From beginning to postop, it was a positive experience. In the beginning, as I researched my options, I started with an Internet search. I was impressed with the Park Nicollet Bariatric Surgery Web site. Not only did the site give concise, helpful information, it provided links to other sites that helped me evaluate if gastric bypass was an option. When I was ready for the next step, Park Nicollet had a free informational seminar. It was conveniently scheduled in the evening, again showing the attention given to a patient’s life. The other hospital program I was considering only offered meetings in the middle of the day. The evening program allowed me to bring my wife along and was a huge benefit for us as we evaluated our options. A number of preop appointments are required. But, Park Nicollet didn’t force me to make them all individually. Rather, more than half my appointments were dealt with in a four-hour block. That was a huge benefit to me because it was an efficient use of my time, even though it required more coordination for your staff. Every appointment started on time, or even a little early, which is astounding and reflects your dedication to treating patients with respect. My surgery day arrived. All the staff treated me like a real person, not just a number. Simple things like making sure I had the right size hospital gown and getting blankets for me to keep warm as I went through pre-op. They knew I was nervous and kept a good-hearted banter going to keep me at ease. After surgery, Dr. Robert Wetherille spent time with my wife and, when I woke up, he was the second person I saw. That was very comforting. Once I was moved to a hospital room, the nurses took over. I remember one nurse taking time to coach me on how to get out of bed so I wouldn’t strain my stomach muscles. It’s a little thing, but when you are just out of surgery, everything is a big deal. Everyone encouraged me when I began to walk, even pediatrics staff, who were at the midpoint of my walking path. I cannot recap all the small kindnesses I was shown or list all the names of staff. But I want everyone to know that each staff member gave me excellent care and was gentle and gracious to me, my wife and my children. Sincerely, |
