Patient reunited with team who saved him

It's a rare privilege for our partners from emergency medical services and the police department to witness the positive outcomes of the patients they save in the field. This past Tuesday, we celebrated a special reunion with a prior patient, Dr. Ray Ernst, and his wife, Peggy Green-Ernst. Dr. Ernst's medical journey began on October 22, when he collapsed on a tennis court. His friend, Ray Box, called 911 and initiated CPR. Just a few minutes later, South Padre Island police officer David Laird arrived to find Mr. Box doing compressions on Dr. Ernst. EMS was dispatched, and once they arrived on the scene, they took over the compressions; the AED was engaged, and compressions were continued. Soon after, Dr. Ernst was loaded into the ambulance, and his care continued en route to our hospital. While in the ambulance, our EMS heroes defibrillated him again, intubated, and medicated Dr. Ernst to sustain his heart rate while in transit to our emergency room. Once our ER heroes stabilized him, Dr. Ernst was moved to the ICU, and all our other departments, like radiology, respiratory therapy, and the Cath lab, continued to serve Dr. Ernst.

Together, these life savers fulfilled our mission to the care and improvement of human life. We are pleased to report that Dr. Ernst continues to make a remarkable recovery and is looking forward to playing tennis once again, thanks to the dedicated efforts of our medical team and the collaborative work of the emergency responders.

On Tuesday, Dr. Ernst and Mrs. Green-Ernst shared their heartfelt appreciation with everyone involved in Dr. Ernst’s care. Their gratitude and the emotional resonance of the reunion were palpable, making it a beautiful and deeply moving event, which we were honored to facilitate.

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