7 Lutheran physicians receive kudos

Our teams save lives and restore hope every day. Often, we hear from grateful patients and their loved ones about the compassion, skill and support they experienced while in our care. It’s our pleasure to post those comments here and thank the physicians and APPs who healed them and gave them comfort.

Summary of conversation between patient and patient rep

I spoke to a patient today who is so appreciative of the lifesaving care that he received from our staff in the ED, Cath Lab and on Tele-4th floor. He had a heart attack and could not believe that just two days later he was sitting at his kitchen table talking to me. He has been a long-time patient of Lutheran and has always had good care here but said this time it was exceptional. 

The ED was unbelievably great. Dr. Christopher Pergrem, the techs and nurses were great and took care of him quickly.

Dr. Anthony DeCicco and the team in the Cath Lab did a great job with his procedure, and he appreciates them.

The 4th floor had great staff, led by Dr. Ramesh Devanesan and Dr. Victor Abela, and at one point he had eight nurses in his room at one time helping him. He said they were so magnificent!

He wanted everyone to know how incredible his care was and thanks everyone for saving his life.

Email from a clinical manager

Earlier this month, one of our Front Range hospitals faced an unexpected challenge when their scheduled on-call oncology provider was out of the country. Due to the unavailability of several other oncology providers, it became imperative to find immediate assistance for a patient in need. In this moment of need, Dr. Jeffrey Owsley demonstrated remarkable dedication and professionalism by stepping in to provide the necessary call coverage. Despite the last-minute nature of the request, Dr. Owsley ensured the patient received the timely care they needed.

We are immensely grateful for Dr. Owsley's commitment to supporting the FR oncology team during this challenging period. His willingness to go above and beyond exemplifies the spirit of teamwork and dedication we value at Lutheran. We are fortunate to have such a dependable and compassionate professional as part of our team. Thank you, Dr. Owsley, for your outstanding service and unwavering support!

Email from a clinical colleague

I just wanted to share an experience I had with Dr. John Archard. He entered a room that was full of confrontation and honestly a disregard to any productive conversation. The patient was calm yet his family (daughter and wife) were interrupting, being very hostile and non-productive in the conversation (stating things like, we are in the Mickey Mouse Club, and we are all community college doctors and nurses).

Dr. Archard stayed calm and respectful the entire time, held boundaries and offered his time to explain everything in regards to the patient’s clinical situation. He knew the chance the patient was leaving was high, yet he continued to offer a detailed review of labs, images, recommended next steps and offered opportunities for questions. This took at least 20 to 30 minutes and was difficult with the family disregarding anything provided. The patient was engaged in the conversation, and I do feel like he benefitted from Dr. Archard spending this time with him even though they still decided to leave.

I just want to make sure you are aware that he is a great doctor who cares about the outcomes of his patients. He could have easily chosen to not engage in that situation and allow the patient to leave with a lack of information (many would have done this). He truly wanted the best for the patient and ensured he was given everything needed to be successful in his health. He definitely deserves recognition.

Summary of a conversation between patient and patient rep

I just spoke to a patient who had wonderful things to say about the team who cared for her. This was her first time at Lutheran.

She stated that her care was notable for being positive and with clear communication from all involved. 

She explained they thought she was having a stroke, and she received the launch pad experience. She has never been so scared. However, she stated she always knew the team was taking things seriously and knew ‘they had me.’ Every moment she felt safe! The entire team made sure she knew that she would be ok. She mentioned Dr. Aram Neuschatz by name, and wanted to call and say THANK YOU to all!

Thank you to these physicians and all members of our medical staff who inspire their colleagues and provide the best-possible care to our patients.