Why I Work for BJC

I've recently taken a new position within BJC, so things have been a bit busy. However, the following story gave me a great reason to post.

My dad was recently seen at two of our facilities, which not only resulted in the identification of an unknown problem for him, but also indicated a genetic risk for our whole family.

Dad was originally sent to Northwest HealthCare by his internist at Christian Hospital for an MRI, because he was experiencing severe back pain. The MRI report identified a herniated disc, and his doc referred Dad to an orthopedic surgeon at Missouri Baptist Medical Center to evaluate the problem. When Dad met with the orthopedic surgeon, his back pain had subsided and the disc appeared to have moved back into place on its own. The surgeon said that, more than the disc, he was concerned about an abdominal aortic aneurysm that had been identified on the MRI.

Dad followed up with his internist, who performed a sonogram to look at the aneurysm. Because its size was nearing the point at which surgical intervention is recommended, he referred Dad to a vascular surgeon at MoBap. The vascular surgeon and his physician assistant explained the condition to dad, mentioning that it can be hereditary, and sent him for a CT scan to determine if surgery is necessary. The results should be in this week.

Dad is now the third generation of his family to develop this condition, and this knowledge will help my brother and I (who both have a genetic risk for cardiovascular problems from Mom's side of the family, as well) better manage our health. It was suggested that we both be screened for the condition at age 45, which is well below the suggested age for screening individuals without a family history.

Dad went on and on about how great his experiences were at both facilities. The staff were friendly, explaining everything to him and making sure he understood. They reassured him, and made the experience much less stressful. He says it's no wonder I work for this organization, everyone is great!

As his daughter, I am grateful to the staff for taking care of my dad and for identifying a problem that could affect our whole family. As a BJC employee, my first thought when dad said how impressed he was with the care he received was, "Well of course, you were at a BJC facility!" This is exactly the type of care patients expect, and it's great to see that we are exceeding their expectations!