“I cannot adequately express the level of gratitude I truly feel for the folks who took care of me. I felt I was respected as a person and as a patient. It was incredible.”

Mark Goudy walked into the Family Health Center at Kearny County Hospital on November 13, 2020, not knowing he would soon be admitted as a COVID-19 patient with a much longer stay than expected.

Although faced with a rapidly progressing case of COVID, Goudy was impressed by the care he received at Kearny County Hospital – so impressed, in fact, that he made a point to share his positive experience with hospital CEO David Hofmeister.

“The level of professionalism, the level of care and concern that I was shown, the compassion and the level of dignity and respect was tremendous,” Goudy said of his time as a patient at Kearny County Hospital. “Whether it was a doctor, a nurse, a CNA or custodial staff – any person that I dealt with during my stay was an excellent example of professionalism in their field.”

Goudy acknowledged that being a patient at any hospital would not always be considered a pleasant experience, but he said of the Kearny County Hospital staff: “In my case, I felt like every possible courtesy was extended to me. It was incredible.”

Kearny County Hospital’s mission-based providers were recently lauded for their high-quality, compassionate care in a patient satisfaction survey distributed on behalf of the Family Health Center. Goudy echoed that feedback – because of his COVID diagnosis, he was separated from his wife for more than two weeks for the first time in 35 years of marriage. During that lonely, isolating experience, he was relieved to be cared for by his attentive care team at Kearny County Hospital.

On November 30, Goudy was taken by air ambulance to the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kan., for the remainder of his clinical treatment. After nearly two weeks there, he was discharged to complete his care with home healthcare services. While he understands the difference in resources that a rural, critical access hospital may have compared with an academic medical center, Goudy admitted his mindset has changed since his stays in both hospitals.

“I think sometimes folks may have the perception that the level of care in a rural hospital – and I’m going to include myself in this category – might not be the same level as an academic medical center. And granted, when you’re dealing with much greater resources, equipment and larger staff, there are some things that can’t be done at the local level.

“But everything that could be done for me, within the abilities of the hospital, was, and it was delivered with such a level of respect and concern and care, I can’t even express to you how much that meant to me and helped me through those tough times.”

Watch the full video of Mark sharing his story: