We often hear from patients and their family members who want to thank the doctors, nurses and other staff members for their care at Rush. Click the images to see their stories.
“I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer during a routine colonoscopy. After surgery, I was fortunate enough to find myself in room 995 North Atrium. I cannot imagine a better place to recover than under the care provided by that team. After discharge, I entered a six-month treatment program of aggressive chemotherapy. I’ve had the privilege of meeting and working with some of the finest medical professionals imaginable in the Cancer Center. They were always a source of positive energy and strength.”
“Dr. Rasa Kazlauskaite is unbelievably compassionate and caring. Dr. Rasa has made herself infinitely available to us and has allowed us to text her with any important questions and concerns we have. The remarkable care she has provided should not go unnoticed. We are truly grateful for her.”
“My father suffered a massive heart attack. My parents reside two hours west of Chicago. As a nurse I wanted him to have the best care possible and suggested Rush. The transfer was seamless. The cardiologist in my small town was able to talk to Dr. Robert March, and he accepted my dad’s transfer. The outpatient follow-up, including a call from our surgeon, cannot be matched.”
“Our world was rocked as I gave birth to our beautiful daughter, Hannah Rose, who was born with Down syndrome, pulmonary hypertension and three holes in her heart. We were in the hospital for 70 days. On day 68 we received a generous gift from the nursing staff on the Rush bone marrow transplant unit. We were able to use it to buy a bulk supply of formula. This staff shared our story with the surgical intensive care unit’s Nurses Helping Nurses organization, who took our little family under their wing.”
“Our daughter has proven to be a warrior — handling each test, scan and appointment with such strength it would make any adult cry. Her doctor was amazing, holding our hand through the entire process. The real champions for her were the people from Child Life. Lori Franz made her last EEG seem like it was just that — her last. From sitting and talking with her to decorating the room in an underwater theme, we can’t thank you enough!”
“Working at Rush, I know what an incredible team of people we have. However, during my hospitalization my expectations were far exceeded. I was admitted to labor and delivery from clinic with new-onset, severe pre-eclampsia. I was 35 weeks pregnant. From the moment of my admission, to the birth of my daughter, to her transfer to the neonatal intensive care unit and then to the mother baby unit — each and every person who entered our room was kind and compassionate.”
“Navigating the health care system was a nightmare. By the time our daughter was finally transferred to Rush, we were traumatized. The 8 North JRB staff took amazing care of our daughter. We were a mess, full of nerves and anxiety. Yet they were infinitely patient, reassured us and repeatedly offered the support we needed. We saw the difference excellent medical care can make. My daughter stated, ‘I don’t know if it’s the meds that are working or if it was being at Rush for five days that made me better.’ We are full of gratitude.”
“Felicia Ortiz was my son’s patient care technician. Her actions and kind heart helped make a terrible situation just a little better for him. Each time she had any interaction with him, she was so kind and soft spoken. She always spoke to him with such respect and tried to make a connection with him. Her dedication to those around her speaks volumes for her integrity and excellent work ethic.”
“I was a nervous wreck while my love was in surgery. When it was over, Dr. Nicole Siparsky sat down with me and assured me that my love was all alright. She explained every question in detail, as well as what took place and what to expect. Dr. Patrick constantly came to check in on my love. He was kind, patient, informative and straight to the point. The nurses were very kind, helpful, giving and we felt they went above and beyond to make us comfortable.”
“Dr. Srinivas Vourganti went above and beyond the call of duty by using the most meticulous, detailed, time-intensive procedures to absolutely minimize damage to good tissue during our brother’s surgery. He came to our waiting room, sat down and essentially gave us a TED Talk, explaining in terms largely understandable to a lay person exactly how he performed the surgery, what characterizes the healing process and the prognosis. Medicine and Rush are so much better for having the gift of Dr. Vourganti’s presence.”