‘Wall of Miracles’ Grows: Hospital Within a Hospital Celebrates 1,000th Patient
By Donna Vavala, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.
Jun. 12–PANAMA CITY — Since suffering major injuries in an auto accident in 1992, James Kirby estimates he has been in and out of hospitals at least 20 times.
On Wednesday, he was released from Select Specialty Hospital after nearly a three-week stay.
“I was in Shands (Hospital in Gainesville) for a month before that,” the 56-year-old Panama City man said. “I had kidney surgery and aspirated and got pneumonia. I went home too early.”
Within two days of his return home, Kirby aspirated again and wound up in Bay Medical Center’s intensive care unit. In addition to pneumonia, he contracted sepsis, a whole body infection, and had an irregular heartbeat.
Traditional hospitals generally keep patients for only four to six days, but Kirby still was in no shape to go home. His doctor referred him to Select Specialty Hospital, the hospital within a hospital, in Bay Medical Center, for long-term, acute-care treatment. Kirby was Select’s 1,000th patient since it opened in 2004.
Located on the third floor of Bay Medical Center, Select Specialty Hospital can accommodate 20 to 25 patients. It has its own pharmacy, two nursing stations and 95 employees.
Select leases the space from Bay Medical. If patients need surgery, radiation, lab, dietary or any other ancillary services, they turn to Bay Medical, because it is not costeffective for Select to offer those services with such a small patient population.
“I think it’s a win-win situation,” said Select CEO Debra Gibson. “There are 92 Select hospitals around the country. There are eight in Florida.”
Select treats patients with pulmonary problems, patients on ventilators or with tracheotomies, those with wounds that won’t heal and patients with multiple or complex ailments. It also treats patients with neurological problems. All are seriously ill and require intensive care to get well.
The walls in one hallway are filling with photos of former patients and their successful recovery stories. It’s called “The Wall of Miracles.”
“We do a good service for the community,” Gibson said. “We fill a niche that’s left out. We prepare patients for their next level of care: a nursing home, rehab center, hospice or home health.”
Kirby sat in his wheelchair Wednesday, leather hat perched on his head and ready to go home at last.
“I feel better than I have in a long time,” he said. “The doctor said my lungs sound better than they ever have before, and I’ve been going to him for two years.”
Kirby’s wife, son and granddaughter were happy he was coming home, and Kirby was ready to get rolling.
“The first thing I’m going to do when I get home is kiss my dog,” he said.
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