Geni Bennetts, M.D., is grateful to the angels  at the acute rehab unit 

Queen of the Valley Medical Center community board chair and physician Dr. Bennetts thought she was in good hands when she had a major back surgery at a big-name medical center. Her surgery went well, but during her post-op recovery at the hospital, her overall health went downhill alarmingly fast. 

“After my surgery, I was getting sicker and sicker,” she remembers. “No matter what I said, it didn’t seem like anyone was paying attention. My wife, Pat, couldn’t get any answers either. She was being ignored by the staff and getting incredibly fearful as she watched me getting steadily worse.” 

Pat sprang into action. She worked with a community physician to transfer Dr. Bennetts to the highly regarded acute rehab unit at Queen of the Valley Medical Center.

“The most touching thing happened when I came through that door the first night,” she shares. “I realized it was a different atmosphere. It was a caring atmosphere. Even the way they were touching me was different. I felt like there were angels taking care of me, and for the first night in many, I slept.” 

Rehab supports recovery 

Upon evaluation, the team discovered  Dr. Bennetts had pneumonia, a serious infection and some other issues. They immediately began treating her acute medical problems while also introducing rehab activities. 

According to Acute Rehab Unit Medical Director Alex Miner, D.O., having a hospital-based rehab unit is a significant boon to patients. “Being attached to the hospital allows us to take more complex patients and get them started on rehab earlier, even as we address their medical needs. Our patients see experts in internal medicine as well as physical medicine.” 

He adds that the benefits of medical care coinciding with rehab on a patient’s recovery are exponential. “Early rehab increases the body’s tolerance for upright activity. The contraction of muscles helps pull fluid from the rest of the body and boosts overall health and recovery,” he says. “It also improves the patient’s state of mind and the ability to adapt to life at home more quickly and successfully.”

Patients themselves and their family members play an active role in recovery. “We identify the people in patients’ lives who are there to support them, and make them part of the team,” says Dr. Miner. “We encourage the emotional empowerment of patients and help them understand and embrace their role in their own care.” 

A new understanding and determination

Back home and on the mend, Dr. Bennetts deeply appreciates the care and caring she received at the Queen. “At the board meetings, people talk about the ministry,” she says. “I didn’t know the depth of what that meant until I spent two weeks as a patient at the rehab unit. They really look at you and listen. I attribute my well-being and my life to the care I had there.” 

As the chair of the community board,  Dr. Bennetts is acutely aware of the importance of philanthropy in ensuring the community has access to the best care. “The rehab center is a very special place that offers patients a healing touch along with top-notch medical care,” she says. “I want it to be the best it can be.”