I was a patient at IU Health Bloomington Hospital from June 13 through June 20, spending a full…read moreweek there. When I arrived, I was extremely sick with pancreatitis and absolutely miserable. I spent my first 30 hours in the emergency department waiting for a room to become available upstairs.
Over the past 12 years, I've been in and out of IU hospitals more times than I can count, including Methodist, Fishers, North, and West. I've always received good care, but my experience at IU Health Bloomington was, without question, the best hospital experience I've ever had.
I wasn't just dealing with the physical pain of pancreatitis. My father had passed away only a week earlier, so I was struggling emotionally as well. Every member of the staff, including the doctors, nurses, patient care technicians, therapists, kitchen staff, and housekeeping, treated me with genuine kindness and compassion. Whenever they had a few extra minutes, they would stop and talk with me, letting me vent and helping me through a very difficult time.
Because I was an hour and a half from home, it wasn't practical for my wife to visit, especially with today's gas prices. The hospital staff became my visitors. Not once did anyone make me feel like I was taking up too much of their time.
Several staff members even walked the halls with me so I could get out of my room. One person took me to the gift shop so I could buy some sugar-free hard candy. I also needed a phone charger, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn the gift shop provides patients with a free charging cable and charging block if they need one. As someone who has been hospitalized more times than I'd like to admit, I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten a charger.
At one point, I mentioned that I was constantly hot and asked if they happened to have a fan I could borrow. They brought me a nice battery-operated fan. I was told they can't sanitize and reuse them, so patients get to take them home after discharge. It may seem like a small thing, but little acts of kindness like that made a huge difference.
One thing I also have to mention is the food. Let's be honest, hospital food doesn't usually have the best reputation. Somehow, IU Health Bloomington missed that memo. The meals were exceptionally good. There were plenty of choices, everything I received was fresh and well prepared, and the kitchen staff were just as friendly and accommodating as everyone else I encountered. The chicken parmigiana was almost as good as Olive Garden--I know because I had dined there a week prior.
I was certainly happy to get home, but my stay was about as pleasant as a week in the hospital with pancreatitis could possibly be. I only wish IU Health Bloomington were closer to where I live.
I had written down the names of many staff members I wanted to recognize personally, but unfortunately I've misplaced that notebook. I hope someone at IU Health Bloomington sees this review and lets the staff know how much I appreciated everything they did. During one of the hardest weeks of my life, they treated me with compassion, dignity, and humanity. I'll never forget it.