First class hospital

It is Wednesday, September, 17, 2014, I’m writing from Room 111B at Healdsburg District Hospital (HDH). My room overlooks a lovely courtyard, for which I am most grateful as I recover from my right knee replacement by Drs. Tomasin and Rose.
Where do I begin to describe the excellent, attentive care I have received from HDH hospital staff from the moment I arrived here.
Well, let’s start on Tuesday, September 16th at 6:30am, with Debbie, on staff at  HDH for 33 years. She was a smiling, gracious, welcoming nurse as she prepped me for surgery. Debbie allayed any concerns I had as she clearly explained everything she was doing, and what was going to happen to me.
Dr. Loarie, my anesthesiologist, was very pleasant and gentle; he assured me I would go “to sleep” and wake up in no time. It was the fastest two hours I’ve probably ever experienced! Taraneh in recovery was so attentive and caring. It was so wonderful to see a familiar face as we both have done yoga together and shop at the Farmers’ Market every Saturday.
Leading up to my surgery, whenever I would tell someone I was getting my knee replaced, the obvious questions were where and by whom.  After going to Dr. John Tomasin, Orthopaedic Surgeon, and receiving thorough medical care from him and his staff, I wanted to do the surgery right here in our community.
Dr. Tomasin assured me he has done many, many joint replacements, with Dr. Rose assisting, at Healdsburg District Hospital. What an experienced team these two doctors are. It turns out I am patient number 500 who has had a knee replacement. However, these two doctors have racked up even more impressive numbers. They have performed orthopaedic surgery together over 2,000 times. Dr. Tomasin, whose office is right next to the hospital, has performed a little over 1,300 total joint replacement and orthopaedic surgeries since 1988. Dr. Rose, now Medical Director of the hospital’s Wound Care center, has either performed surgery or assisted another physician almost 6,000 times at Healdsburg District Hospital.
Friends insisted I go to San Francisco for my surgery and looked at me cross-eyed when I insisted I was coming to Healdsburg District Hospital. I chose this hospital because it is a small, caring, community hospital with an excellent medical team to take care of my knee replacement needs.
My entire healing experience has been so positive because of the well-trained, courteous, attentive and professional medical staff here starting with Mark Blankenship, Director of  Perioperative Services, whom I bumped into at Big John’s the morning before my surgery, Twila, Lead Nurse, and Jean, who tended to me so carefully on my first day out of surgery, John and Joan, my upbeat, attentive night nurses who responded so promptly, sweet and kind Zoya, Clarissa, Maria and Mandie, my CNA’s, my main blood draw man, smiling Ricco, and Sunshine in Dietary, who prepared tasty, fresh salads, perfect egg salad,  warm apple pie and a delicious cheese omelet and tasty potatoes.
What more could I ask for? Not a darn thing!
On the day after surgery, I met with Occupational Therapist, Janene, Physical Therapist, Elisabeth, and my Discharge Nurse, Marcie, all of whom were helpful, caring and knowledgeable about my recuperation plan.
In closing, if we want a first-class hospital in our community, we must support it.
I would recommend, without any reservation, a total knee replacement at Healdsburg District Hospital.
Barbara V. Wollner is a resident of Healdsburg.