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Brooks’ staff a ‘treasure’ for area

On a recent Wednesday, I discovered how great a treasure Brooks Memorial Hospital is for Northern Chautauqua County. I was suffering severe abdominal pain and my wife drove me to Brooks.

She had me sit on a bench outside the ER entrance while she went inside to get a wheelchair. While I sat there a young lady came by to visit another patient. My discomfort must have been so obvious that she stopped to ask if I needed any help. I explained that my wife was getting a wheelchair for me. As she waited with me another visitor came out with a wheel chair and my wife close behind.

It took the three of them to control the wheel chair down the ramp with me in it to get to the ER. I never found out the names of these ladies, but I am grateful for their kindness and compassion. Two wonderful examples of the great people who live in Northern Chautauqua County.

Once I got to the ER the receptionist moved quickly through the necessary paperwork and I was taken in to be treated. It is not necessary to bore you with the details of my treatment, but I will say the each of the medical and support staff who participated in caring for me treated me with kindness, compassion and respect. Ultimately, I was taken to the OR and appropriate measures were taken to address the source of my pain. Of course, I am particularly grateful to the surgeon, Dr. Askar, for treating me in what was surely as an unplanned a part of his day as indeed it was for me.

There are many other people who participated in addressing my medical emergency and I am embarrassed to say I cannot recall their names to properly express my gratitude. I am sure that if you spoke to them they would say it is all part of their job and they would do the same for anyone and I am sure they do. But, you see, they did it for me. They are true professionals and we are fortunate to have them in our community.

As I was being discharged from Brooks I thought about how much I would miss that place when the new hospital comes on line.

While I am not completely convinced that rehabilitation of the existing facility is uneconomical, it occurred to me that the building is less important than the people who provide the day to day care. I am convinced that, wherever the hospital is located in the future, it is the staff who will continue to make it a treasure for Northern Chautauqua County.

James E. McKenna is a Fredonia resident.

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