80 Years of Experiences with ProMedica Toledo Hospital

Carol Smith’s experience with ProMedica Toledo Hospital began 80 years ago. On January 22, 1944, Carol was born at Toledo Hospital. As the years went on, her experiences grew her appreciation of the hospital to what it is today.

Birthdays at Toledo Hospital

Growing up, Carol recalls her parents always utilizing Toledo Hospital when they needed care. And when it came time for Carol to grow her own family, she chose Toledo Hospital as the place to give birth to her first son in 1966.

However, the birth of this baby posed some complications. He was born with transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), also known as wet lung. This condition causes temporary respiratory distress for the newborn due to slow fluid absorption in the lungs.

“The doctors told me that if my son’s heart was strong enough and he could make it 48 hours he would be OK,” Carol recalls. “He was in a separate room so all I could do was look at him through a window, but I stayed positive because I was so confident in the people caring for him.” Carol’s son made it through those first 48 hours and made a full recovery.

“Back then, they had you stay at the hospital for longer after giving birth. I remember attending classes while I was there to learn how to care for my baby – like how to bathe him,” Carol shares.

Six years later, she chose Toledo Hospital again for the birth of her second son – this time with no complications.

Carol recalls that both of her stays at Toledo Hospital for her sons' births were great experiences, and she even remembers the different rooms that she stayed in. “Having my children was the greatest miracle and the most exciting thing to happen in my life.”

Working for Toledo Hospital

A couple of years after her second son was born, Carol decided that she was ready to enter the workforce again. She saw a job posting for a clerk receptionist/personnel employee at Toledo Hospital and submitted her resume.

“I remember the interviewer asking me why I wanted to work at Toledo Hospital. I told her, ’Well I was born here, and my children were born here. This is the only hospital I would ever want to work for,’” Carol shares. That evening, Carol got the phone call that she had gotten the job.

Carol worked one year as a clerk receptionist and then transferred to the medical staff office where she worked for three years. Then, Carol found herself working in her favorite role of her professional career – a secretary for the neonatologists who cared for premature and sick babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Toledo Hospital. She stayed in this role for 36 years until she retired.

This unit didn’t exist when Carol’s first son was born with some complications, so she found herself grateful to work in a place that had the technology to support new moms and their newborns who were born early or with complications.

“I was blessed to work for the neonatologists at Toledo Hospital. I respected them and their commitment to caring for our smallest patients,” Carol shares.

An Emergency Trip to Toledo Hospital

A couple of years ago, Carol was on vacation in Florida when she had a fall that resulted in a lot of pain. She went to a local hospital in Florida and was unhappy with her care. Carol flew home to Toledo; her son picked her up from the airport and took her directly to the Toledo Hospital Emergency Center.

As she was being evaluated for the severe pain in her back, doctors noticed some other concerning signs in her vitals. She was admitted with a concern of possible pulmonary embolism. After many tests, it was confirmed that Carol did have a pulmonary embolism – she had multiple blood clots blocking arteries in her lungs. 

“They saved my life. I wasn’t experiencing any symptoms of pulmonary embolism, so had I not gone in for treatment of my back I would have never known,” Carol shares.

While she was there, they also diagnosed and treated her back pain, which turned out to be a fractured sacrum.

“I would give the care that I received during my hospital stay a minimum of 11 out of 10. Everyone in the emergency room, inpatient care, nurses, were all amazing,” Carol praises.

To make sure Carol stayed on the track back to health, she followed up with ProMedica pulmonologist, Ahmad Abdelwahed, MD. Carol shares that both Dr. Abdelwahed and her primary care provider Nancy Stadler, MD, are excellent physicians who truly care for their patients.

“No matter what kind of care I needed – pulmonary, primary, gastroenterology, orthopaedics, heart – I have always been fortunate to have amazing care providers at ProMedica,” Carol shares.

Changes Over the Years

Carol recalls watching Toledo Hospital grow over the years. “It was almost like the hospital started as a small town and grew into a city. We lost some of the simplicity and small-town feel but gained so much in terms of advances in technology and medicine,” Carol shares. “You learn to grow with and appreciate the changes.”

Whether it was an exciting or emergency trip to the hospital, or her daily trip to work, Carol shares that she has nothing negative to say about Toledo Hospital: “ProMedica has always been so good to me. Their priority is always caring for their patients.”