Kevin Butler

Review of Utah Valley Regional Medical C...

We had our daughter in the ER on Memorial Day for ...

We had our daughter in the ER on Memorial Day for what turned out to be a ruptured appendix. Everyone from the nurses who greeted us in the waiting room, to the nurses, techs, and doctors in the back were amazing! My daughter has only ever had her shots; never a blood draw or anything like it, and they were so patient and explained everything. The doctor was knowledgeable and reassuring. The ultrasound tech was also great with our daughter. He talked to her on her level and explained everything to us. We were told that all of the radiology images were being reviewed by a pediatric radiologist, which was very reassuring. Once we found out what was wrong, a pediatric surgeon, Dr. Skarda, was consulted and he was also amazing! Dr. Skarda really knows his stuff, but is also very personable. He genuinely seemed to care about us, even checking in with us several times after the surgery. Everyone in the ER was great keeping us updated and making sure our questions were answered. Up on the pediatric floor, the amazing care continued! Our daughter was cared for by a team of pediatricians who did such a great job managing her pain and helping her get better so she could go home as quickly as possible. We were also impressed with a personal visit from a pharmacist and social worker just to see if they could help with anything. There was also a Child Life Specialist who was really key to helping our daughter accomplish the things she needed to do (but didn't want to) in order to get better. They spent time with her doing crafts and creating rewards for accomplishing goals. Our daughter really struggled with taking the medication by mouth, but every nurse was so patient and tried many different things until we found the one that worked. The housekeeper was also key in encouraging our daughter to do the things she didn't want to do. The housekeeper, at the beginning of the day, promised our daughter a special surprise if she would accomplish all of that day's goals. And when she did, that housekeeper was there, as promised, with her surprise.

Nobody wants to be in the hospital, but everyone who was involved in our daughters care made this visit a lot less stressful. Thank you!