We all know our health system has some problems and faces challenges. If my own recent experience is any indication, however, customer service isn’t one of them. Of course, I know one anecdote does not a correlation make, but I did feel it worthy to use my space this week to celebrate the good, something that rarely gets reported on.
By way of background, I was out walking my puppy, all 120 pounds of her, a couple of weeks ago. I don’t worry about her intentionally hurting anybody, but she is big and solid and, at only 11 months, still a bit too enthusiastic at times. In short, she could easily take out an unsuspecting linebacker, much less a small child.
So, I got her a harness with a handle on it for better control in exciting circumstances. When she lunged at someone on our little outing I kept control of her, but unfortunately my ring finger got twisted in the strap.
I’ve had more than my fair share of broken bones, mostly related to sports, but I knew immediately this was not a normal break. The top knuckle was kind of pinched inward. When I tried to move the joint, there was no pain response because there was no response at all.
I am one of those people (a man) who has to pretty much be dying to go to the emergency department, but I did not hesitate this time.
My worst fears were confirmed when the emergency doctor managed to get me an appointment with a reconstructive surgeon in Regina first thing the next morning.
Backing up just a tad, when I arrived at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre, everybody I encountered were both personable and professional from the intake worker to the triage nurse to the radiologist to the physician.
They worked quickly, efficiently and with openness about what was going on. The doctor even brought me out into the medical area to show me the X-ray and explain what had happened. It was not pretty.
From the minute I walked into the Pasqua Hospital at 7 a.m. the following day, the great treatment continued. Their process of getting people checked in and moving through the system was a model of efficiency. More importantly, I felt like every step of the way, the people who dealt with me really cared about me.
Finally, the surgeon was amazing. Obviously, freezing the finger was an excruciating experience (fortunately I had a wonderful nurse holding my other hand), but once that was done, he had me put back together in about ten minutes. I mean that literally. The joint was broken, a piece of bone had snapped off and the ligament was torn. The doctor had to go in through both sides of my finger to suture it back together.
We (heartfelt thanks once again to Kara for driving me) were back in Yorkton by noon.
All told, I can’t think of a single way the whole experience could have gone more smoothly or in which I could have been treated any better.
So, to all the medical professionals and support staff in Yorkton and Regina, much-deserved and probably too-infrequent kudos.
