LARGO, Fla. — With a quick smile and compliment, Nicole Buckingham may just be the happiest person to be in a hospital.
“Hi, are you Kim?” she says, walking into Kim Gill’s room at HCA Florida Largo Hospital.
“I am,” said Gill.
“I love your hair,” said Buckingham. “Are you wanting to do some therapy today?”
Buckingham is a physical therapist. She has been working at HCA Florida Largo Hospital for one month.
But it is not her time employed that makes her more familiar with this hospital than most. It is her time spent in a patient bed.
“I first came to HCA Largo for a liver transplant,” said Buckingham.
She was on her deathbed last December, in full liver failure.
The hospital can do liver, kidney and heart transplants. (Hospital photo)
HCA Florida Largo Hospital was the only transplant facility in the area willing to give this wife and mother of two a liver transplant. She was that sick.
“This place saved my life. The people here saved my life,” said Buckingham.
So when she started to feel better, she decided she would apply for an open role as a physical therapist. Prior to getting sick, she had worked as a physical therapist in home health care for 16 years.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Buckingham.
This year, the hospital expanded the Transplant ICU, tripling its capacity. Today, all 12 of the beds were full.
“We have done 11 transplants in the last eight days, so it’s been a really busy week,” said Dr. James Eason, Director, HCA Florida Largo Transplant Institute.
HCA Florida Largo Hospital is the only transplant hospital in Pinellas County. (Hospital photo)
Eason said prior to this expansion being built, the demand was really becoming an issue.
“We didn’t have enough critical care space for all of our transplant patients, both patients coming in for a transplant and patients who had already been transplanted,” said Eason.
HCA Florida Largo Hospital is the only transplant hospital in Pinellas County.
Eason said the facility is on record pace for liver transplants this year.
“I will be officially listed on the National Registry next Thursday,” said Gill, excitedly to Buckingham.
“Congratulations! I remember when Dr. Bodin told me when I was listed,” said Buckingham.
Buckingham didn’t know when she walked in to help Gill she needed a liver. It is just a coincidence the two can bond over going forward.
“Are you ready?” asked Buckingham.
“Holy cow. I think I am,” said Gill, with a smile.
“Well, you are in really good hands,” said Buckingham. “I’m so excited for you.”
HCA Florida Largo Hospital does kidney, liver and heart transplants.
Eason said that in the coming months, the facility will begin doing live liver donor transplants.
Erin Murray
Source link