Two years ago, one of those things happened that you hope never happens. My sweet Wes woke me in the middle of the night and said, “You better get me to the ER.  I’m having chest pains.”  I threw clothes on, jumped in the car, and said, “Which way? Are we staying in Huntsville or headed south?” He replied, “Go to HMH.”

I have made a habit in this column of being as real and transparent with you as possible. Many of you have told me you feel like we are friends, even though we’ve never met. That is more special than you know. So, I am sharing this story for a few important reasons.

First, multiple doctors have told us had we driven 30 minutes, my husband would not be here today. That decision saved his life. Second, yes, I had a moment’s hesitation about “which way was better.” Our local hospital had been through a tough season, but with new management, better things were happening.  I am thankful Wes knew his body, and I trusted him.

Over the past few months, I have been working with the team at HMH as they prepare to offer our community the opportunity to have a new hospital. During this time, I have come to have great respect for the management at our hospital. They inherited a lot of problems, many more difficult than I realized. They are working hard every day to get better and better. They are honest and will tell you everything isn’t perfect…yet. But they are committed to our community and to making it so. The other thing I can tell you is they WANT to hear from you. Whether your experience is good or not so good, they truly want to know.

Here’s what I know. I am thankful for HMH. I am thankful we have accessible, quality healthcare at home. I am thankful for their leadership, and for every single person who works there to care for each of us when needed. For me, I no longer have to ask, “Which way?”

Until next time,