Celebrating 35 Years of People
by Keith Darcey

So often, hospitals are judged by the cutting-edge technology used to treat the most complex diseases, assessed by the appearance of the buildings and graded by the length of time it takes to see the doctor. The heart and soul of East Jefferson General Hospital, however, is the people. For the past thirty-five years, we have attracted team members, physicians and nurses that are the best in their respective fields.

Delivering the best medical care means more than diagnosing an illness based on an MRI or blood work. It means that we are there to explain the medical options so that you understand your choices. We walk you through the procedures pausing along to the way to calm the nerves. It also means that we are there to help you cope with the future. This is what makes a hospital.

For Rachel Esquivel-Musacchia, this care not only saved her life, but helped change its direction. Rachel had been taking nursing classes at Southeastern University and was a new mom. In 1993, life then took an unexpected turn.

She was diagnosed with a potentially fatal infection that attacks the lining of the heart and attaches itself to the heart valves. It was far enough along that the only treatment was to have her aortic valve replaced. This was difficult news for this new mom of a six-month old daughter.

Rachel had the valve replacement surgery in 1994, but it did not come without complications. She was then diagnosed with lethal arrhythmia, needed to be resuscitated and had a pacemaker installed. In total, she was at East Jefferson about eight weeks, much of it being spent on the 2-East Post-Coronary Care Unit.

The healing process, both mentally and physically, began. Although she needed to take a break from nursing school, the care she received always stayed with her, and made her even more motivated to complete school.

“Everyone there treated me so compassionately,” said Esquivel-Musacchia. “They made me feel comfortable and took time with me. I realized that the only thing I wanted to do with my life was to be a nurse.”
Today, Rachel is doing well. As of last year, she accomplished her goal and proudly put “RN” behind her name. After graduation, she immediately interviewed with East Jefferson where she was hired to work on 2-East, the very floor that saved her life.

“I love the people I work with,” she said. “I feel so welcome. It is amazing to realize that the same people who took care of me are now my professional role models, trainers and co-workers. They are so many good people here.”

Experiencing both sides of the patient bed was invaluable to Rachel. After receiving compassionate care, she now delivers it. Looking in on her patients and knowing she was once in that very same bed makes accomplishing her goal worth it. After all, she may be inspiring a future nurse.