until conditions were safe. Despite sleeping on air mattresses and being away from their families, “the staff had a great attitude, with no complaints,” Cholley says. “That wasn’t fake kindness. That was real. Even the woman who cleaned the room was friendly and thoughtful. It was every interaction.” Cholley stayed two extra days waiting for pharmacies to reopen, but says the team never wavered. “The nurse, the techs, even the person who explained my discharge instructions—everyone was thorough and compassionate.” cardiology consult was ordered, and a cardiac catheterization was scheduled. Dr. Digiglia was moved to the ICU, where he met a hospitalist who he described “exuded confidence and intelligence.” Again, the feeling settled over him—I am in the right place. A new appreciation for nurses Throughout the night, a nurse monitored Dr. Digiglia closely, adjusting his medications and offering quiet reassurances. In the early hours, John William Digiglia, MD, thanks the nurses who provided excellent care to him during his stay as a patient. lcmh.com 13 A few weeks later, Cholley returned for two more stents. “It wasn’t just a one-time thing. The care was just as good the second time.” Cholley, who lives in Sulphur, now recommends Memorial to everyone he knows. “I tell people, Memorial has their stuff together. There’s no reason to leave the area.” Cholley says the experience changed how he views local care. “I’ll always come back. I feel comfortable here, and I didn’t feel that way before.” another nurse prepped him for the heart catheterization procedure. Their attentiveness and precision was something he had never fully appreciated before. He had worked alongside nurses for over 60 years, yet now, as a patient, he was seeing them through new eyes. The catheterization revealed some minor concerns, but nothing lifethreatening. His diagnosis: noncoronary myocardial infarction, which required a pacemaker. As they prepared Dr. Digiglia for the next procedure, a nurse leaned in with a smile and said, “You’re in the right place, doctor.” For the first time in his career, a nurse was reassuring him about a heart procedure. The procedure went smoothly, but something had shifted in Dr. Digiglia. After decades in medicine, he finally saw what had been right in front of him all along—the incredible, tireless dedication of nurses. He had witnessed their work, of course, but he had never felt the impact of their care the way he did now. Dr. Digiglia saw how they bore the frustrations of upset family members, the demands of doctors, the long hours and the unrelenting pace of their work. He was the recipient of their compassion and giving of themselves…and yet, so often, they are the last to hear a simple “thank you.” As he prepared to leave the hospital, gratitude swelled in his heart. The cardiologists and hospitalists had all been wonderful, but the nursing care—that had been on a different level! He knew now, without a doubt, that southwest Louisiana was incredibly fortunate to have a team like the one at Memorial.
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