April 14, 2000

Below is a thank-you letter sent to James J. Mongan, MD, president of the MGH, from a patient about the care he received last year.

Dear Dr. Mongan:

I feel the need to let you know about my stay at Massachusetts General Hospital. I was airlifted in on Nov. 21, 1999 and released on Dec. 14, 1999 as a result of a serious motor vehicle accident in southeastern Massachusetts.

The reason I am writing you this letter is to make you aware of the staff you have and the level of care that they gave me. First of all, Janey Pratt, MD — she is a wonderful surgeon who, with the help of her trauma team, was able to save my life. Besides her surgical knowledge, she has a bedside manner that cannot be taught in the classroom. She visited me on a regular basis and always had words of encouragement for me. When times got tough, and I didn't think I could fight to stay alive any more, Janey always showed up out of the blue.

And if it wasn't Janey, Craig Seidman, MD, (senior surgical resident) was there to explain things in detail without sugarcoating the issues. According to both surgeons, it was a miracle that I survived. He discussed surgical options with me when needed, and took that extra minute every day to console me or to kick me in the rear to get on with life in a positive way. We became friends, as I started to look forward to his visits with his team in the very early morning, every morning. (Does he ever get a day off?) I understand he will be leaving you in the summer, but I hope that you will be getting him back soon. He is a great asset to your team.

But it doesn't stop with your surgeons. The nurses and their aides on White 7, who nursed me back to health, also need to be commended. There were quite a few of them, too many to name all of them. They all helped me out in their own special way, medically and mentally.

These people all have a special gift that cannot be taught. Some call it bedside manner; some call it psychological interaction. Whatever you want to call it, they all had that extra 10 seconds or five minutes to make me and other patients feel like humans, not like inanimate objects. You have a fantastic staff. Hold on to them. They are the basis of your successful hospital.

Thank you all for saving my life and getting me home, so I could embrace my sons on Christmas Day. It is a memory I will never forget.

Sincerely,
Phil Horstmann
N. Attleboro, Mass.