(Neosho, MO) – The swing bed program at Freeman Health System’s Neosho Hospital literally spared a local family an untold amount of stress, worry and financial hardship by keeping their beloved sister Tammy Burnette just minutes away from home.
“The care that [Tammy] received here was just phenomenal,” said Rhonda Curtis, Tammy’s sister and caretaker. “The people at Freeman Neosho mean the world to us now. They took such good care of her. It means everything to have somebody treat her as family like we do.”
Tammy, or Tambo as she commonly goes by, woke up one morning and couldn’t stand up or walk. When hospitalized in Northwest Arkansas for treatment, an infection was discovered in her lower spine. Because her recovery would take weeks, she was facing rehabilitation inside a nearby nursing home, roughly an hour’s drive from Newton County.
“We were apprehensive about Tambo moving into a nursing home. We didn’t think she would do very well in that type of environment,” Curtis said. “But at that time, we thought it was our only choice.”
Adding more stress to the situation, while Tambo was still hospitalized in Arkansas, Curtis’ husband had been admitted to Freeman Neosho Hospital. This unfortunate situation turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the family, however. This is when Curtis first learned about Freeman Neosho’s swing bed program.
No, the swing bed being discussed in this situation isn’t a technologically advanced hammock. Under the program, Freeman Neosho Hospital has specific rooms that allow hospitalized patients to “swing” from acute care to skilled nursing or rehabilitation care without ever having to leave their hospital room or their team of doctors and nurses.
“We thought the swing bed program would be better for Tambo, because she has been in and out of hospitals her entire life, and she does so well in a hospital setting,” Curtis said. “It’s important for us to be close to Tambo. She keeps us happy.”
Accepted into Neosho hospital’s swing bed program, Tambo was quickly transferred from Northwest Arkansas to Neosho.
“Tambo is a great example of what we strive to do here at Freeman Neosho — we focus on building relationships with our patients,” said Tara Crocker, Freeman Neosho’s swing bed coordinator. “We want our patients to feel comfortable here, and we want family members to know their loved ones are being taken care of.”
During her stay, Tambo bonded with numerous Freeman Neosho staff, including therapy team members Tucker Anderson and Stephanie Parker.
“The care she received in Neosho, in my opinion, was the absolute best,” Curtis said of her sister. “They got so personal with [Tambo] that it made her want to do things, like physical therapy. Tambo couldn’t stand, but Tucker made it so fun for her; he was so personable, that she wanted to do it; she wanted to work hard. And then Stephanie made it so fun for her that she wanted to learn to walk again.
“She loved her caretakers,” Curtis continued. “They made her feel like family. When she left here, she loved these people. And she still talks about them all the time.”
Freeman Neosho Hospital staff threw a party for her on one occasion. Daily, they would pop into her room for a hello or hug. At the time of her hospital discharge, Tambo had accumulated “hundreds” of photographs of her posing with both staff and administration. During quieter moments, Tambo would play UNO or Skip-Bo with her medical team, usually with she and Crocker facing off against Anderson. When Tambo won, Crocker would tape victory signs to the hospital room’s walls. When Anderson won, he’d tape up his own signs. This forced Tambo, at times, to good-naturedly put Anderson into “time out.”
Tambo, Crocker said, “was the perfect swing bed patient.”
Upon leaving Freman Neosho’s swing bed program, Tambo could freely move about with ease, and capable of tackling chores like making her bed or doing laundry.
“I do feel like [Freeman Neosho Hospital’s] swing bed program helped get her home to us,” Curtis said. “She is the light of our lives. She makes everybody feel happy. It means everything to us to have her home.”
About Freeman Health System
Locally owned and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System is a not-for-profit health system serving communities across Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas through a network of hospitals, physician clinics, outpatient locations, and specialty services. The system includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital, and the Freeman Health System facilities in Bentonville, Springdale, Willow Creek, and Siloam Springs. Freeman Health System also operates Ozark Center—the region’s largest provider of behavioral health services, and offers comprehensive cancer, cardiology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, and women’s and children’s services. The system is supported by more than 7,000 employees and is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.
Reference:
Kevin McClintock, Media Relations Coordinator
Freeman Health System
417.434.3458
KSMcclintock@freemanhealth.com
Be the first to comment