Dedicated to Inspiring Hope in Heart Disease Patients and their Families!

April 2009 Visiting Report: During April our total visits made were 33. March 2009 Visiting Report: During March we visted 88 patients. I do not have current records with me and cannot give you further details.   February 2009 Visiting Report: 47 Patient Visits 5 Pre-op Visits 42 post Op Visits 2 Family Only Visits 15 Second Visits to Patients 16 Male patients Visited 31 Female Patients  Visited January 2009 Visiting Report: 32 Patient Visits  5 Pre-op Visits 27 Post op Visits  9 Second Patient Visits Male and Female Patients not recorded this Month   December 2008 visiting Report: 13 Total visits Made. 4 Pre-op Visits 9 Post-op Visits 7 male patients 6 female patients 1 Family Only Visit 11 Patients had bypasses (some may have had Valve repair or replacement as well) 2 Patients had valve replacement or repair( could possibly have had bypasses as well) November, 2008 Visiting report: 38 Total Visits Made  6 Pre-op Visits 32 Post-op Visits 19 Male patients 17 Female patients 28 Patients were bypass patients(some had valves replaced or repaired as well) 14 Patients had valves replaced or repaired (some had bypasses as well Accreditted Visitors participating this month were: Marion Hagood,Jim Bacchus, John Stubblefield, Rich Braddus, and Bob Jackson October, 2008 Visiting Report: 43-Total Patient Visits Made 4-Pre-op Visits 39-Post-op Visits 1-Family Only Visit 16-Visits were follow up with the 2nd Mended Hearts Visitor 7-Internet Vists were made Accredited Visitors participating this month were: Marion Hagood, John Stubblefield, Jim Bacchus, Rich Braddus, and Bob Jackson. September, 2008 Visiting Report: 32--Total Patient Visits were made 7--Pre-op Visits 25-Post-op Visits were made 17---Male Patients Visited 15 Female visits were made 1--Family Only Visit 23-Bypass patients were visitied/9 Valve replacements or other procedures visits made Accredited Visitors this month participating were: Marion Hagood, Jim Bacchus, John Stubblefield, Rich Braddus, and Bob Jackson.   August, 2008 Visiting Report: 29 Total Visits 3 Pre-op Visits 26 Post-op visits 20 Male Patients Vistied/9 Female Patients Visited 0--Family Only Visits 23--Patients Visited were bypass patients 6---Patients Visited were valve replacements or other procedures Acredited Vistors Volunteering this Month were: Marion Hagood, Jim Bacchus, Rich Braddus, Bob  Jackson July, 2008 Visiting Report: 40 Total Visits Made  2 Pre-op Visits 38 Post-op Visits 23 Visits to Male Heart Surgery Patients 17 Visits to Female Heart Surgery Patients 32 Visits Were to Bypass Patients  8 Visits Made to Valve Replacement or Repair Patients Visitors Involved in July were: Jim Bacchaus, Marion Hagood, John Stubblefield, and Bob Jackson   June, 2008 Visiting Report: 31 Total Patient Visits 4- Pre-op Visits 27 Post-ops 21 Male Patients Visited 10 Female Patients Visited 3 Follow up Visits to  3 Surgery Patients Vistor's Involved in June, 2008: Marion Hagood, John Stubblefield, Jim Bacchus, and Bob Jackson Visiting Goal: To have at least 14 total visitors covering each patient as a  team  and visiting 7 days per week.     May, 2008 Hospital Visiting Report: 34 Total Patient Visits 11 Pre-op Visits 23 Post-ops 29 Patients Visited were Male  7 Patients Visited were Female 26 were Bypass Patients  8 Were valve repair or replacements and other procedures There are two new visitors visiting this month. They are John Stubblefield and Marion Hagood. Both are visiting on a regular basis, one day per week. We look forward to having others join us as visitors so that every patient at Memorial Hospital can be encouraged and shown that there is hope after heart surgery. April, 2008 Hospital Visiting Report: 7 Total Visits-All Post-ops March, 2008 Hospital Visiting Report: 30 Total Patient Visits 25 Post-op Visits  7 Visits were Follow-up Visitis   February, 2008 Hospital Visiting Report: 55 total Patient Visits during February--Number of visits almost doubled 10 Patients Visted before Surgery-----Pre-op 45 Post-op Patient Visits---After surgery 13 Follow-up Visits to patients All visits made by Bob Jackson, accompanied on occassion by either Bill Gates  or John Stubblefield. We are ready to expand visiting services. Come join us!   January, 2008 Visiting Report: Twenty eight visits were made to heart surgery patients in Memorial Hospital Central during the month of January. Two of these visits were made prior to the patient's surgery and two of these visits were made to family only members while the patient was in surgery. The others were all made after surgery was performed. I continue to be amazed at the surprise and thankfullness of the patients when they realize that someone who has had their same experience cares enough to share their zest for life and recovery experience. Pikes Peak Mended Hearts is becoming well known around the hospital staff and patients.   December  2007 Visiting Report: We are closing out our December visiting report with the following information: There were a total of 28 visits made to Patients at Memorial Hospital this month. Almost for the first time since starting our visiting program at Memorial, there were 7 pre-op visits made to patients prior to having surgery. That means that this month, twenty-five percent of the patients visited were visited before they had their surgery.  Two of these pre-op visits were made in the Cath-Lab.  All other visits were post-ops. It would be great if all our visits could be made on a pre-op basis but it is impossible to do with today's speed of surgery and discharges. Two of the visits were to family members only while their patient was either in surgery or in intensive care. Six visits were made as follow-up visits to patients that had peviously been seen. Visits were made on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays still with only one active member visiting. Bill Gates visited with me on December 5th. Visiting with Bill as a team allowed us to show the patient two separate recovery stories. My wish is that many of you would have the joy of visiting with a patient, offering hope and encouragement, and seeing the change on facial expressions during that visit. I feel so blessed each time after having that experience.         November  2007 Visiting Report: There were a total of 21 surgery patients visited this month. All were post-op visits. There was one family visit made to a family member in the hall and elevator going to the 4th floor.  During patient visits there were some family members present in the room but this is not counted as a family visit. Family visits are visits made to only family members. At present there is only one visitor active. There are others in the process of completing their volunteer orientation process with Memorial Hospital. One patient called me from St Francis -Penrose Hospital this week but we were not allowed to visit her in that hospital. We later received a phone call and were told that we could visit her.  The visit did  not materialize.   All patients visited received the Path Pak  from Mended Hearts that is given to all visited patients. We look forward to having more visitors to help.

October 2007 Visiting Report

During the month of October, 2008, one visitor had the opportunity of visiting a total of 27 surgical patients at Memorial Health System Hospital, Boulder St, Colorado Springs, CO. Visits were made to both male and female patients. Twenty four of these visits were post surgical procedures while 3 of these were prior to surgery, some with a follow-up visit.. Most of the patients had bypass or valve surgery, however there were some other procedures involved as well.  Many of the patients visited during October are currently enrolled in the Memorial Outpatient Cardiac Rehab program in the Printer's Park Building on South Union Blvd.

Most of the patients visited were thrilled to see someone that had a similar experience and were very grateful for that visit.

One visitor in training accompanied the regular vistor on one occassion. More hospital visitors are needed as we are currently visiting only 3 days per week as of this week. All of the patients in Memorial Hospital Cardiac Unit do not presently have the privilege of being visited by someone "who has been" --where they are now. It is our wish to visit every heart patient at Memorial Hospital.

If you have had a heart surgical procedure and would like to become a hospital visitor, please e-mail us at bobjackson@usfamily.net We will arrange for training by Mended Hearts accredited hospital vistors as well as the volunteer department of Memorial Health Systems. Both training sessions are required to be a volunteer visitor. Membership in the Mended Hearts Pike's Peak Chapter is required. You will also be required to wear a Memorial Hospital volunteer uniform at your own expense.

There is no greater experience than to be alive and to help someone esle!