Honor Your Caregiver
"I still tear up when I think about the level of care we were given. Both of us were treated so well. All of our questions were answered, and everyone - from the doctors, to nurses, the transport team, the housekeepers, and the scheduling assistant - was kind to us and always asking what they could do to help us."
- Vince and Jeannie McKee, Grateful Patients
Celebrating Our Caregivers
National Doctor’s Day is annually celebrated on March 30 across the United States. At Penn State Health, we want to take the time to not only honor our world-class physicians, but all the skilled, compassionate caregivers throughout the health system who work to transform patients’ lives every day.
Through each appointment, exam, test, diagnosis, and treatment plan, caregivers are with you every step of the way showing empathy and a commitment to your health.
Many of our caregivers at Penn State Health have been working in healthcare for decades, treating multiple generations of families in good times and bad. To recognize their incredible commitment, will you consider making a gift in honor of those who helped you in your time of need? Honoring a caregiver allows you to write them a personalized "Thank You" note as well as make a contribution to the institution that equips them with the resources they need to treat everyone who comes through our doors.
Each thank you note will be delivered to the caregiver(s) of your choice. Please click here to thank a caregiver.
Vince and Jeannie's Story
Vince McKee had always kept in good shape. The retired nurse and veteran of the United States Marine Corps went to the gym, swam in the pool, and mowed the lawn with regularity.
So, when he started having breathing problems in the Fall of 2021, he and his wife Jeannie didn’t imagine it could be related to his heart.
“I went from using an inhaler to not being able to walk down the hall within a couple of months,” said Vince. “I thought it could be related to my exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, so I made an appointment with a local pulmonologist here in Southern York County.”
It was soon discovered, however, that Vince’s issues were not related to lungs. It was a cardiac issue.
While swimming in a local pool near his home, Vince began to have severe breathing problems and chest pains.
He had suffered a heart attack, and he and Jeannie learned that he had three blockages and an aortic aneurysm. His aortic valve would need to be replaced as soon as possible.
The local hospital near Vince and Jeannie’s home was not equipped to handle a complex case like this one, so Vince made an appointment with Dr. Kentaro Yamane at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center after receiving a recommendation from a family member.
“We knew right away that Dr. Yamane was an excellent doctor and that Hershey’s facilities are world-class.,” Jeannie said. “Everyone there was friendly and answered all our questions. We left the appointment with the surgery scheduled and tons of information.”
Within a few weeks of the appointment, Vince was on the operating table. After several hours, Dr. Yamane came out of the operating room and told Jeannie that the surgery went well, and that Vince would need to remain under observation for another 90 minutes in case any complications arose.
Unfortunately, a complication related to a mucous blockage caused Vince’s lung to collapse, but the team overseeing Vince quickly recognized the problem and saved his life.
“If they hadn’t kept him in observation after the surgery, they might not have caught what was happening and he might not be here,” Jeannie said. “After the surgery and complication, they let me go into his room and see him for a few minutes. Being able to see and touch him was the only way I was able to sleep that night.”
After Jeannie left, a nurse sat with Vince all night and monitored his sleep to make sure there were no further complications. They called Jeannie first thing in the morning to tell her that he was doing fine and that he slept throughout the night.
“That phone call allowed me to calm down and have some breakfast before I drove the 90 minutes back to the hospital,” Jeannie said.
Today, Vince is feeling well, back to mowing the lawn and doing work around the house. He said that cardiac therapy helped build his stamina back up and that he hopes to go back to the gym more in the future.
During this Honor Your Doctor campaign, Vince and Jeannie are choosing to honor Dr. Yamane, as well as the whole nursing team and staff. They also want to thank the scheduling assistant, Sherri, who helped them schedule appointments and tests back-to-back so they did not have to continuously drive back and forth from their home.
“Vince was a nurse for years, and I have multiple family members who ware nurses, so I know what good nursing is, and we got the A+ nursing treatment,” Jeannie said. “They deserve all the credit in the world, and I can’t thank everyone at Hershey Medical Center enough for everything they did for Vince, myself and our family.”
Will you join Vince and Jeannie in honoring your Penn State Health caregiver this month?
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