In The Right Place At The Right Time

The farmer's market held in front of the medical center each week in season.

Back in the 1990s when it was decided to locate a new baseball stadium for the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, I don't think any city planners were envisioning that its location near University of Maryland Medical Center would make a difference in someone's life. Certainly, UMMC is also the site of the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, but I don't even think that planners were thinking much about that either.

When I first worked at UMMC back in the 1980s, I don't think anyone was thinking that two professional stadiums would be located that close to this wonderful health care center. Actually, when I had worked a few shift assignments there just a few years ago, sometimes the traffic related to ball games could test my patience and I would kick myself realizing that I probably should have allowed more drive time to get there on time. But anyway, I digress.



UMMC's location proved to be lifesaving for one woman who showed up at Camden Yards for an Orioles game on Memorial Day this year After the care she received at UMMC, she wrote a letter thanking all of her health care providers. These are her words:

Rita Ann Reimer

"My name is Rita Ann Reimer. I am 68 years old and live in Annapolis, Maryland.
I had my first heart attack in October 2008. By June 2009, I had suffered a Code Blue and had 10 stents and a defibrillator.
I was then relatively stable for several years, but starting in June 2013 I had a series of increasingly serious heart episodes. On April 7, 2015, I had a heart attack accompanied by severe respiratory distress and nearly died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
All this time I had been told that my arteries were too narrow for bypass surgery. This was not good news as my arteries were over 90 percent blocked.  But this was about to change!
I have been a Baltimore Orioles season ticket holder for 36 seasons. On Memorial Day, May 25, 2015, I went to an Orioles game and suffered another heart attack right outside Camden Yards. The ambulance took me to the University of Maryland Medical Center, which is right next to the stadium. It was my sixth hospital in eight months, in three states.
First, I would like to thank the Emergency Room staff not just for their expert care, but for their kind and reassuring manner. Having your defibrillator fire repeatedly is painful and scary. Unlike another recent hospital experience, they were very sympathetic and even helped me breathe my way through several potential firings.
But mostly, I would like to thank cardiac surgeon Dr. Bradley Taylor, who after examining my records said he thought I was a good candidate for bypass surgery. I admit that at first I was politely dubious, having been told for years that that this was not an option. But given my 90 percent blockage, I felt that I had no choice. And it turned out he was right!
I had a successful triple bypass on June 5. On June 10 they also replaced my six-year-old defibrillator with a newer model that is supposed to last for 11 years. Two months later, I have been cleared to drive and have started a cardio rehab program at my local hospital. While I still have a ways to go, I’m definitely stronger and have more energy. Thank you, Dr. Taylor!
And also thank you baseball! Had I not been a baseball fan this almost certainly would not have happened, as I would have been taken to another hospital and would not have met up with Dr. Taylor. I am a very lucky person!"


Source: Rita Ann Reimer | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/programs/heart/about/success-stories/rita-ann-reimer#ixzz3ijHpfNtY
University of Maryland Medical Center
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By the way, UMMC is one of the Baltimore area hospitals that has received magnet status from the ANCC. It is a pleasure to be reporting this glowing review by a woman who benefited from their excellent care.

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