M e t h o d i s t H e a l t h c a r e
“THEY SAVED
MY LIFE”
Former patient returns to thank
staff at Methodist Texsan Hospital
A WOMAN FROM
North Texas graciously thanked
the staff and physicians at Methodist Texsan Hospital,
a campus of Methodist Hospital, after she nearly died
on a cruise ship headed for Belize. Deborah Fischer, 61,
became critically ill while vacationing with her husband
in late December. The doctor on board the cruise ship
diagnosed her with pneumonia. She said she was unable
to sleep for 48 hours because she could not stop coughing
and that her breathing became more and more difficult.
“I’m a nurse, and I knew I was dying. I couldn’t believe
what was happening to me,” says Fischer.
Fischer was admitted to a hospital in Cozumel, Mexico.
Her condition became more critical. Arrangements were
made for her to be flown fromMexico back to the United
States. Methodist Texsan Hospital had a bed in the inten-
sive care unit (ICU) ready for her. A flight nurse on board
the emergency transport plane said, “Honestly, I didn’t
think she was going to make it. The flight was 2½ hours
long. She was very sick.”
“While I was in the ICU, I felt hands on my body. It
was guardian angels protecting me,” Fischer says. “Those
hands were keeping me alive—along with the healing
hands of the nurses and doctors at Methodist Texsan. I
am so grateful for the care I received. They saved my life.”
In early February, Fischer returned to the hospital,
fully recovered, and threw a party to thank the staff and
doctors for saving her life. She encourages others to hold
on to their faith in God and to be kind to each other.
HEALTHBUS AND WELL WALDO’S WHEELS
FREE TRANSPORTATION
DO YOU WORRY
about how you will get to your next
doctor’s appointment? Are you in a wheelchair, or do you
need help getting to the hospital for outpatient testing? Do
you have a special needs child but lack a vehicle that can
accommodate your child’s medical transportation needs?
Methodist Healthcare has the answer to these ques-
tions! Get on board HealthBus for adults or Well Waldo’s
Wheels for children and expectant moms. You will be
picked up at your home, dropped off close to the entrance
of your doctor’s office or the hospital, and picked up later
and taken home. Best of all, you won’t have the added
hassle and expense of parking.
HEALTHBUS DELIVERS
HealthBus is provided to men,
women and children living in certain ZIP codes. It will
take you to visit doctors who are on the medical staff of
Northeast Methodist Hospital andMetropolitanMethodist
Hospital. For Northeast Methodist Hospital, residents liv-
ing in the following ZIP codes can receive this free service:
78148
78233
78217
78247
78239
Parts of 78109, 78218, 78154 and 78244
For Metropolitan Methodist Hospital, residents of the
following ZIP codes are served:
78202
78203
78204
78205
78206
78207
78208
78210
78212
78215
78225
78226
78234
78237
And parts of these ZIP codes are covered:
78201
78209
78211
78213
78214
78216
78219
78220
78221
78222
78223
WELL WALDO’S WHEELS
For children and expectant
moms, Well Waldo’s Wheels provides free transportation
to doctors’ offices in these ZIP codes or to doctors’ offices
in the South Texas Medical Center. Expectant moms liv-
ing in these ZIP codes who are preregistered to deliver
their baby at Methodist Hospital; Metropolitan Methodist
Hospital, a campus of Methodist Hospital; or Methodist
Stone Oak Hospital can arrange for a ride to their prenatal
doctors’ appointments as well.
78202
78203
78204
78205
78206
78207
78208
78210
78212
78215
78225
78226
78237
And parts of these ZIP codes:
78201
78211
78214
78219
78220
78221
78223
78224
78228
78241
HOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR RIDE
To schedule a ride on
HealthBus or Well Waldo’s Wheels, call
210-MHS-RIDE
(
210-647-7433
) at least 48 hours in advance of your
appointment or scheduled admission to the hospital,
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The buses fill
up quickly, so call as soon as you know when you will
need a ride. The buses are not ambulances and should
not be called in an emergency situation.
On the day of your ride:
Please be ready at least 30 minutes before your sched-
uled pickup time.
The bus will park as close as possible to your front
door.
Every rider must wear a seat belt. The bus has child
safety seats for children too young to use a seat belt.
All children must be with a parent or guardian.
When you are finished with your appointment, you or
someone from the doctor’s office can call
210-MHS-RIDE
to
let us know you are ready to be picked up and taken home.
EMERGENCY ON VACATION
WHAT WOULD
YOU DO?
IF YOU'RE PLANNING
to travel to Mexico in the near
future, you can prepare for a medical emergency with
the help of Methodist Healthcare’s Medical Emergency
Travel Assistance (META) program. META provides the
following services:
Immediate contact with air ambulances, 24/7.
Rapid coordination with insurance companies.
Specialized medical, bed-to-bed transfer fromMexico
to a U.S. hospital.
Certified clinical coordination before, during and
after the flight.
Fast hospital admittance.
Specialized medical preparation in advance of
arrival.
Hospital assignment of surgical services, care and stay
in advance of arrival.
Here are some steps to follow to prepare for a medi-
cal emergency:
GRATEFUL PATIENT: Deborah Fischer credits the
doctors, nurses and staff at Methodist Texsan Hospital
with saving her life after she became critically ill while
vacationing on a cruise ship headed for Belize. When
fully recovered, Fischer threw a party at the hospital to
thank Marc Strode, CEO of the facility, and the staff.
Have an emergency plan and know what options are
available to you.
Notify family or friends about where you’re going; in
case of a medical emergency, have them contacted.
Take a list of your current medications with you and
leave a copy with family or friends.
Take a list of food and drug allergies and leave a copy
with family or friends.
Record the telephone number for Air Medical in your
cellphone and give the number to family or friends:
001-866-945-8958
.
Leave a copy of your passport with a family member or
friends.
Leave a signed power of attorney for medical purposes
with family and your family doctor.
Notify your credit card companies where you’ll be and
how long you’ll be traveling.
Notify your medical insurance provider about where
you’re going and how long you’ll be traveling.
Check your international coverage and medical emer-
gency air evacuation coverage with your medical insur-
ance provider.
Please contact the Methodist Healthcare HealthLine
at
210-575-0355
to get your META card to keep on hand
in case of a medical emergency while you are on vacation
or traveling outside the country.
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K E E P I N G
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