Here is a collection of stories about UI Hospitals and Clinics staff members who go beyond their job descriptions to help others.
Doctors Brave Storm to Save Baby
Michael Acarregui, MD, and John Dagle, MD, PhD, specialists in the Division of Neonatology at University of Iowa Children's Hospital , were faced with a serious dilemma early in the morning of December 11, 2007.
A woman at the Henry County Medical Center, Mount Pleasant, gave birth to a premature, 26-week old baby girl shortly after 6 a.m. on December 11. Normal births occur at about 40 weeks. The Henry County hospital did not have all of the necessary equipment to care for such a premature infant. Normally, the baby would have been transported to UI Children's Hospital, but an ice storm grounded AirCare, the emergency medical helicopter based at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. In addition, the icy conditions also prevented ground ambulances from traveling to Mount Pleasant.
The physicians' solution? Go to the baby. They got an emergency kit designed to care for premature infants, and drove Acarregui's car to Mount Pleasant. The 47-mile trip took about an hour. They treated the baby's underdeveloped lungs to help them function better and placed umbilical lines. A mechanical ventilator was not available so they used a hand bag to help her breathe.
By the time the physicians completed those life-saving steps, the roadways were more passable. A Henry County Ambulance crew helped assemble a carrier to safely transport the baby to Iowa City. The ambulance arrived just before 1 p.m. and the care team took the infant directly to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The baby, Dorotea Orgovanyi, remains in good condition. She will receive care in Iowa City for 12 to 14 weeks. The NICU at UI Children's Hospital has a 94 percent survival rate for infants such as Dorotea.
Health Information Management Department Deploys Operation Soldier
Several staff members in the Health Information Management (HIM)Department know soldiers in Iraq who won't make it home for the holidays and those soldiers know that many of their fellow servicemen don't receive many, if any, packages or notes from home. To make the holidays a little brighter, hundreds of items (and money for shipping costs) were donated by HIM staff for 24 "care packages," that included notes from children, playing cards, snacks, books, magazines, personal care items, and other necessities that make life a little easier. Each package included a personalized holiday greeting card, letter and pictures from the department, wishing them the best.
Additional items and money was donated to the local domestic violence shelter.
People for People Craft Sale Nets $1,000 for Social Services
The People for People craft sale collected $1,000 for the Social Services Department to use for outpatients to help buy medications, gas vouchers, emergency lodging, etc.
Rossi Clothing Closet Donations
Staff members from the Joint Office of Patient Financial Services took up a collection of clothing items for the Helen K. Rossi Volunteer Guest House Clothing Closet. They filled three carts with items that will benefit many patients.
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