High five your health care provider - January 12, 2018

It's the people not the institution that create an environment of total care; quality, friendly and cheerful health services; efficient attention to detail for patient needs and well-being. Those, among other superlatives describes the staff at Surrey Memorial Hospital. I humbly and proudly give credit where credit is due and the following departments are but a few on my list:

• Emergency ambulance team
• Emergency staff
• Trauma staff
• Laboratory Services
• Gastro Intestinal Operating Team
• Intensive Care Unit
• 5th Floor Ward (East Wing), Room 29D staff
• et al.

The feeling of having a huge family attending to my health condition was almost always present. Concern for my comfort and pleasant stay was monitored daily while relevant, sensible and simple explanations regarding my condition were discussed by attending professional physicians during their rounds.

Nothing is perfect of course, yet the short stay of 6.5 days in Surrey Memorial Hospital is an experience I will always be in gratitude for. Patients and staff I had the chance-pleasure of meeting is A1 in my books.

Thank you.

Our 25 year old son was admitted into Abbotsford Regional Hospital. He had slipped on ice and stopped his fall with his forehead. He came home immediately, vomited a lot and we tended to the gashes and swelling on his forehead. He felt great eight hours later, no headache, no dizziness, no vomiting – perfectly fine. I suggested we visit our GP, but he said he was fine and went to work.

Later our daughter heard three loud bangs in the hallway outside her bedroom, came out of her room and found my son passed out on the floor. Bags were packed and off to Abbotsford Hospital we went.

As it turns out ... the Emergency waiting room was packed with hurt and sick people. Kudos to the check-in nurse on shift that night. She took a lot of flack from upset people and handled everyone with respect, grace and a professional attitude. Not once did she let an upset family member affect how she kindly handled the next patient checking in.

My son was called in by Triage Nurse Jean. With 52 years of nursing experience under her belt, Jean made us immediately feel calm and in very capable, good hands. Jean's professional knowledge, empathy, kindness, sense of humour were exactly what my son and I needed. Jean hooked my son up to a saline IV drip and sat us outside her triage room while we waited for lab work and an ECG. The young woman who took his blood was lovely. The young man who did his ECG was great. Every nurse that we came into contact with on such a busy night treated him with so much care and kindness.

As a mom sitting back and observing all of this, I felt so grateful. My son was eventually given a bed and seen by (run off his feet) Dr. Trevor Landseidel. Even after hours and hours of non-stop patients, Dr. Landseidel, greeted us with a smile and took the time to answer our questions and give us his professional opinion once going over all of the test results. Dr. Landseidel ordered a CAT scan which were golden words to my ears after laying in bed for two nights worrying he might have had an internal brain bleed. Once my son was cleared from the CAT scan, Dr. Landseidel confirmed a concussion with instructions and a doctor's note for him to not work for a week, IV was removed and we were free to go.

Hats off to all of you that worked the January 3, 2018 evening shift in Abbotsford Hospital’s Emergency. You did an awesome job and are SO appreciated by my son and I. As we drove home to Langley, my son and I both felt grateful for the thorough, professional care received. Neither of us cared about the wait time, we knew you were all there to help us which you did so well. To Dr. Landseidel and triage nurse Jean, you truly are a credit to your professions.

Abbotsford Regional Hospital is extremely lucky to have you both gracing their hallways. Thank you for everything you did. Happy New Year.

I was taken to Peace Arch Hospital suffering from a stroke. I would like to thank the paramedics, Dr. Lebl, Dr. Janes, the nurses, technologists, radiologists and all the other staff in ER.

I was admitted and found the nurses there to be very professional, caring, and extremely kind. Nurse Amar is also a great singer (lol).

From the porters to the cleaning staff, the staff that delivers the meals were very friendly. Glen, who picks up the trays, was always cheerful and good for a laugh.

I am on my way to recovery and just want to say thank you for everything. Peace Arch is not a good hospital it is a great hospital.