I never expected to be a patient
- Posted On:
- Written By: Felicia Messimer
Holly Hink never expected to be a patient at Campbell County Health only six weeks after moving to Gillette, Wyoming from Little Rock, Arkansas.
The new pediatric nurse practitioner at the Campbell County Medical Group Kid Clinic first thought her chest discomfort came from exercising at a higher altitude than she was used to. But when the pain continued even at rest and was accompanied by fatigue, she knew something else was wrong.
She first saw CCMG Family Medicine specialist Dr. Erica Rinker, who ordered some diagnostic tests during her appointment. Holly went to the Emergency Department at Campbell County Memorial Hospital a few days later when her symptoms suddenly got much worse. After some other tests done specifically for her heart, and with the help of Dr. Nathan Tracey, she got an appointment to see Dr. Sairav Shah in CCMG Cardiology.
To make a long story short, Holly spent a weekend in the CCMH Intensive Care Unit under the care of CCH hospitalist Dr. Judy Boyle. Dr. Shah quickly diagnosed her problem, called endothelial dysfunction. He explained it to Holly and her husband like this: it’s like a FedEx truck trying to deliver a package, but the door is closed and the package cannot be delivered. Medications allow the door to be opened and the package to get delivered.
Holly is now under Dr. Shah’s care, back to work and doing well.
“I wanted to tell people my story because I believe the Lord led us to Gillette for a reason,” said Holly. “I’ve worked in many places in larger cities, and the expertise and specialists here are amazing. You don’t have to live in a big city to get great care.”
Holly noticed that staff in every department introduced themselves and explained what was going to happen to her. CCH uses an acronym called AIDET to make sure the patient is acknowledged, staff introduce themselves, explain the test or procedure and how long it is going to take, and say thank you--every single time they provide a service.
“This was not something I was used to where I came from,” says Holly. “You feel genuinely cared for as an individual.”
Holly touched almost every part of Campbell County Health, and she doesn’t want to leave anyone out because everyone she encountered had a part in her care, even if they’re not mentioned here.
“I was really ill and really scared,” said Holly. “I am so proud to be a member of this team and do my part to make my patients feel the same care and concern that I did”.
Sairav Shah, MD, FACC, practices at Campbell County Medical Group Cardiology, which is part of CCH’s robust Cardiovascular Services program. Our highly skilled, board certified cardiologists at the Cardiology clinic are here at all times to care for patients and our cardiac cath lab allows us to provide care quickly during an emergency. And, we can help get you back to your daily routine after a heart incident with our Cardiac Rehabilitation program. Dr. Shah and Dr. Nicholas Stamato, FACC, use these and other tools to diagnose and treat heart problems as the first cardiologists living and working in Gillette, Wyoming. The cardiac care team includes our physicians, registered nurses in the Clinic, as well as a team of registered nurses and technicians in the Cardiac Cath Lab and Cardiac Rehabilitation. Learn more at www.cchwyo.org/heart.
Erica Rinker, MD, and Nathan Tracey, MD, work at Campbell County Medical Group Family Medicine in the Main Clinic on the south side of Campbell County Memorial Hospital. The Family Medicine clinic offers healthcare for people of all ages in Gillette, Wyoming. Call 307-688-3636 for an appointment.
Holly Hink, APRN, practices at the Campbell County Medical Group Kid Clinic, a school-based pediatric clinic offering medical care for Campbell County, Wyoming students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and their siblings’ ages 2 weeks and up; and counseling services for children 4 years to 21 years. It is located at 800 Butler Spaeth Rd., across from St. Matthew’s Catholic Church in Gillette, Wyoming. The Kid Clinic is open Monday-Friday from 8 am-5 pm. For more information, call 307-688-8700 or visit www.cchwyo.org/kidclinic. The Kid Clinic is a collaborative effort between Campbell County Health and Campbell County School District.
