Jennie Hall has called McPherson home for more than 40 years. She came to the community as a college student, built a long career at the McPherson Public Library and developed deep connections with people across the area.
Those connections took on new meaning this winter.
Her health problems had started months earlier. By January, she was weak, underweight, struggling to eat and dealing with increasing health complications. On a bitterly cold night, she came to the McPherson Center for Health emergency room.
“I was in my pajamas, almost in the middle of the night,” Jennie said. “I was in a lot of pain, quite apprehensive and concerned.”
Jennie was admitted, and her care team initially hoped her condition would improve enough to delay surgery. By the third day, it became clear that surgery could not wait.
Dr. Fetch explained that they needed to move forward. What Jennie remembers most was his reassurance.
“We know what’s wrong with you, we know how to fix it, and we have all the resources we need right here and right now to do that.”
Those words brought comfort at a time when Jennie was facing a complicated colon resection and uncertainty about what recovery might involve.
The surgery lasted longer than expected and became more complex. Dr. Fetch asked Dr. Stringer and his surgical team to assist, something Jennie did not learn until afterward. For her, it was a clear example of the teamwork happening behind the scenes.
“The ability to bring lots of different resources that the hospital had for the best care for a patient was so enlightening to me,” she said.
The outcome was a good one. Jennie did not need to go to the ICU, and her hospital stay lasted nine days.
During that time, she saw how many people were involved in her recovery. Her care included the emergency room, radiology, the medical-surgical floor, surgery, anesthesia, physical therapy, dietary services, nursing, CNAs, lab staff, housekeepers and others.
Jennie was struck by how smoothly care moved from one area to another and how well staff communicated across departments.
“It made my care just seem like there was great continuity, and none of the balls were being dropped in that process,” she said.
Just as memorable were the personal moments. Jennie remembers nurses who brought humor, encouragement, prayer and even song into her room. She remembers staff taking time to learn about her life and family. She remembers CNAs bringing ice chips, adjusting pillows, helping her move and providing personal care when she was unable to do those things herself.
“When you’re in the hospital and you’re completely helpless, it’s very humbling,” she said. “They did that with such respect and dignity for me as a person.”
One of the most frightening moments came a few days after surgery, when Jennie experienced a serious blood-pressure crisis while her daughter and grandchildren were visiting. Her CNA, Maddie, noticed subtle changes in Jennie’s demeanor and posture and quickly called in the nursing team as Jennie began to lose consciousness.
Jennie remembers Maddie holding her hand. “I’m right here. I’ll stay with you. Talk to me.”
Maddie began asking questions about Jennie’s grandchildren, whose names she had already learned, to help keep her responsive. That moment stayed with Jennie because it reflected both attentiveness and personal connection.
Then one evening, while Jennie was struggling with pain and repeated problems with IV and PICC lines, a nurse named Rosin came into the room with a calm, gentle presence. The two discovered a connection through Africa, where Jennie had grown up, and their conversation gave her something else to focus on during a difficult night.
“It was life-giving to me,” Jennie said.
Before surgery, a member of the operating room team noticed how much pain Jennie was experiencing while being positioned and asked the team to stop moving her until she was under anesthesia.
Jennie also remembers the care she received from the anesthesia team. Sam, who cared for her before surgery, reassured Jennie that she would remain with her throughout the procedure and later came to her room to check on her recovery.
Dietary care became another important part of healing after her colon resection. Suzanne Fleming checked on Jennie repeatedly and continued following up after she returned home to make sure she was able to eat nutritious foods and recover well.
Jennie also appreciated the care she received as discharge approached. She had concerns about her mobility, what she could eat and how she would manage at home. Dr. Blackstone saw that she had a list of questions, pulled up a chair and worked through them one by one.
“The things that mattered to me became the things that mattered to them,” Jennie said.
That kind of personal care felt especially meaningful because many of the people caring for Jennie were already part of her community.
Dr. Fetch had known Jennie and her husband for years. In fact, his first surgery after coming to McPherson about 20 years earlier was her husband’s gallbladder surgery.
“He had seen the good version of Jennie, the healthy version of Jennie, not just the sick one,” she said.
He also knew how important information was to Jennie after her years as a librarian. She kept lists of questions for his rounds, and he came to expect them. Knowing her history and personality helped Jennie feel more informed and more secure during a time when she had very little control.
Other caregivers had known Jennie or her husband over the years as well. Some remembered previous health experiences. Others became familiar faces during her nine-day stay. Jennie learned staff schedules. She asked who would be working the next day. Conversations happened around lab draws, nursing checks and daily routines.
“They became my friends, not just my caregivers,” she said.
That support mattered even more because Jennie’s family was already facing another major health challenge. Just four weeks before her hospital stay, her husband had been diagnosed with cancer.
Receiving care in McPherson meant her family could visit often while still managing his treatment and their responsibilities at home.
“Getting healthcare in my own community, practically in my own backyard, was such a gift to me,” Jennie said.
The relationships did not end when she left the hospital. Jennie still returns to visit some of the people who cared for her and has brought gift baskets as a way to thank them. She wants caregivers to understand that what may feel routine to them can be deeply meaningful to a patient.
“These are things that you’ve done a hundred times over, but maybe it’s only happened to the patient once or twice,” she said. “It’s huge. It’s monumental. It’s memorable.”
In a small community, patients and caregivers may see one another again at the grocery store, at church or at the ball field. We share not only the experience of care, but also the outcome.
“We were on a journey together,” Jennie said. “We all get to share in the win.”