Kowalski Family – Emergency Department Success Stories

Care you can count on – Methodist Mansfield Emergency Department is here for you

Accidents are bound to happen, and the uncertainty of the injury can be overwhelming for many patients. Amanda Rogers Kowalski, a mother of three – Pete, Alex, and Joe – has experienced her fair share of trips to the emergency department (ED) at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center for broken bones and illnesses.

"I think I'm a regular at the emergency department," she says. "The nurses and doctors recognize me by name. And no matter what time of day or night, the ED is committed to care for me and my family's medical issues that need quick attention."

A hospital you can trust

Kowalski knows how much mothers count on hospitals to get them and their children going again.

"I remember when Joe broke two toes chasing his brother before crashing into a wall," she says. "I brought him to the ED, and Joe thought it was cool. He got the remote control and watched the flat-screen television while Dr. Trivedi X-rayed him, fixed his toes, and fitted him with a boot.

The accident sidelined him from playing football for the rest of the season. However, I was able to rest easier because of the outstanding care he received."

A month later, Kowalski was at the Chisholm Challenge in Fort Worth when she started feeling nauseous and had severe pain in her left side.

"I had my husband drive me past several hospitals in the medical district of Fort Worth just so I could go to my hospital, Methodist Mansfield," she says.

"I feel more comfortable with the nurses and doctors in my hometown, because they know me and my medical history.

"The physician in the ED knew right away it was kidney stones again. They gave me medicine to help relieve the pain and made me feel well again."

Committed to caring for you

"When you are very sick or you have an accident, you are vulnerable and you want relief as soon as possible from individuals who are nice, knowledgeable, and committed to taking care of you," Kowalski says. "Methodist Mansfield meets my needs perfectly. They treat me and my family with respect and compassion, while taking time to thoroughly explain their care and answering our questions."

At each visit to the ED at Methodist Mansfield, Kowalski takes note of the staff's commitment to patient care.

"When I fell on my face chasing my dachshund around the back yard, I had to drive myself to the hospital," she says. "I never imagined I had broken my nose in four places. Both Dr. Richard Burkett and RN Jessica Markwardt were wonderful and talked to me the entire time as he placed the 16 stitches. Now you can hardly see that I ever had them."

Because of her family's active lifestyle, Kowalski says she is glad to have caring, quality emergency medicine close to home. She says with a smile, "Sometimes I think Methodist Mansfield Medical Center is my home away from home."