Investing in the health of Ventura
County residents now and in the future.
If you or someone close to you has ever faced a serious illness, you know that the patient's concerns go far beyond just what is wrong with me? Even after a diagnosis has been made, the patient's questions and worries continue: What are my treatment options? How will they affect me and my family? How long must I stay in the hospital? For patients with complex health situations who are asking these questions, Community Memorial Hospital's interdisciplinary Palliative Care (PC) Team is a vital resource.
Maricela Escalante is a CMH patient who benefited by working with a PC Team. Suffering from end stage renal failure and lupus, Maricela, the mother of four, spent more than two years going from hospital to hospital searching for treatment that would alleviate her numerous painful health problems and prevent another stroke. When she finally came to CMH, her condition was so compromised that she was immediately admitted to the intensive care unit. “If not for CMH, she would not have survived,” says Maria Ruiz, her sister.
As the PC Team worked with Maricela, they found that her number one concern was the significant time she had to spend in the hospital for treatment, which meant time away from her children. Working with her doctors, the PC Team assisted her in clarifying her goals of continuing aggressive treatment and helped design an out-patient treatment plan that minimized hospital stays, while ensuring she receives optimal care. Ruiz says her sister's quality of life has improved dramatically. “She’s doing well now,” Ruiz says. “She’s happy and I'm very, very happy.”
Palliative Care is just one CMH program among many committed to improving the lives of our patients. Your generous donation to Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation will enable us to continue these “whole patient” programs that are so critical to so many. As your community hospital, we will always be there for you, your family and those you care about.
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