Mary's Wow Moment

December 27, 2018
you're not just a number

"I was enormously impressed by the hospital's emergency staff and their lifesaving work," said Mary Manilla, following a visit to the emergency room.

"You're not just a number. They're going to care for you no matter what it takes."

Manilla says her first experience with the emergency department was when she took a friend there for care. She was so impressed by how her friend was treated that it was the first place she thought of when she suddenly began to experience difficulty breathing related to asthma.

“It was incredible,” she says of the emergency care she received. “They rushed me back, a doctor was there.”

She recalls that they immediately administered a breathing treatment to resolve her symptoms, and then followed up with testing to make sure everything was okay. “They took no chances that it was just a breathing problem. They even took X-rays,” she says. “They were just so efficient, so caring.”

What perhaps stood out most was not only how the staff took care of her, but how they cared for all of the patients who were there that day, Manilla says.

“I watched as nurses, doctors, machines and equipment worked rapidly, but quietly, wherever they were needed,” she says. “There was no shouting or hysteria, only an atmosphere of professionalism and concern. Even as they go about helping others in varying levels of distress, the hospital staff here is skilled and professional.”

Manilla notes that the compassion and high level of care she’s observed at Lakewood Ranch extends beyond the ER. She had knee replacement surgery there and received “such excellent care” that she vowed to go there for any medical needs. “I recommend it to everyone who speaks with me about an ailment,” she says. “I have total confidence, if anything happens Lakewood Ranch is my hospital for life.”